Click here for Dick Weaver's obituary
What label best describes Dick Weaver?
Bluffton College professor for 39 years?
Cub Scout leader?
Conscientious objector during World War II?
Chemist?
Social-justice advocate?
Cross-cultural learning pioneer?
Intellectual?
Perhaps, all of the above.
Dick’s impact on Bluffton and particularly Bluffton College and University is significant.
During his college years he helped found the Bluffton College Peace Club and was a strong peace advocate on and off campus.
As a conscientious objector to war, he entered Civilian Public Service (CPS) during World War II. He served in Sidling Hill, Pennsylvania; Ypsilanti, Michigan; and La Plata, Puerto Rico.
During CPS, he and his wife, Margaret, served together in Puerto Rico. As part of the CPS unit Dick helped convert a tobacco warehouse into what became the Mennonite Hospital in Aibonito. He was especially involved in creating the hospital lab.
In 1950 he accepted a position teaching chemistry at Bluffton College, where he served as a professor for 39 years. During that time he continued research at the University of Michigan and did sabbatical research projects at Ohio State University, University of Utah and Medical College of Virginia.
During the 1963-64 school year Dick and Margaret took their six youngest children for a sabbatical year in Puerto Rico, where Dick taught at the University of Puerto Rico. This experience led to a lifelong connection to Latin America and the Spanish language for their children.
Dick was actively engaged in exploring and creating alternative approaches to education and played a leading role in a major revision of the Bluffton College curriculum to promote inter-disciplinary and self-directed learning.
In 1968 Margaret and Dick led a 10-week study abroad experience for Bluffton College students in Colombia, South America, a connection, which lives on in Bluffton University’s current cross-cultural programs in Latin America.
Dick was active in numerous professional, church and community organizations. In 2006, he and his wife, Margaret, were named Bluffton Lions Club Citizens of the year.
He was a member of the American Chemical Society, served as chair of the Chicago Mennonite Learning Center board, and participated on numerous college and church committees and community organizations.
Throughout his life Dick contributed many hours and resources to a variety of causes related to world peace, educational opportunity, refugees and social justice. In addition to leading repeated student experiences in Mexico and Colombia, his sense of adventure led him to China and Cuba at a time when those places were not common travel destinations for U.S. citizens.
An Eagle Scout in high school, as an adult Dick was awarded the Silver Beaver for his many years of service as Cub Master along with other adult leadership roles in the Boy Scouts of America.
Dick actively supported his wife, Margaret, in her career as a classics teacher at Bluffton High School. He accompanied Margaret to conferences across the country where Margaret made presentations, and to Italy and Greece and Britain to study ancient ruins.
In retirement Dick homeschooled six of his grandchildren and both taught and attended courses at the Institute for Learning in Retirement at Bluffton University.
Dick was someone who practiced respect, humility and tolerance. His understanding of the world was very broad.
Bluffton was fortunate to have a Dick Weaver among us. We were fortunate to witness the things he stood.
And, more importantly, we watched as he acted on the things he stood for. That may be his most important a lesson for us all.
