BOBBYE NELL WEAVER

SCARBOROUGH – Bobbye Nell Weaver, 86, passed away peacefully Monday morning, June 27, 2005, at the Maine Veterans’ Home in Scarborough. Bobbye was born Nov. 7, 1918, in Gustine, Texas, daughter of Ethel and George Neel. She graduated from public school in Cross Plains, Texas and Weatherford Junior College in Weatherford, Texas. On July 29, 1939, she married Donald Weaver, and they resided in Fort Worth, Texas, where she worked as a dental hygienist until Donald completed his Air Corps training. After Donald returned from his European service during World War II, they began the next phase of their lives, building a family with three children, while serving in the Air Force. As a military wife, Bobbye created a home for her family at Air Force bases in the United States and Japan. Throughout these years, she lived a life which exemplified service and love to all she met. She used every new location as an opportunity to learn and reach out to others and becoming a part of every community in which she lived. In 1962, Donald and Bobbye retired from active duty in the Air Force and moved to Orono. Throughout her life, Bobbye was an active member of the United Methodist Church, participating in choir, as a Sunday school teacher, church secretary, and in mission work. She was also involved in the Girl Scouts as a troop leader and camp director. While living in Orono, Bobbye was active in her community through her work in the American Field Service (AFS), the refugee resettlement programs, the Page Farm and Home Museum, and the state wide Methodist church. While enjoying life as a vegetable and flower gardener, Bobbye researched and studied the art in an effort to successfully try new techniques and new plant variations each year. She enjoyed canoeing, camping and fishing. As a member of the Penobscot Paddle and Chowder Club, she and Donald completed numerous trips down the Allagash, the St. John, the S1. Croix Rivers, and built canoes from scratch. During this time Bobbye and Donald became interested in restoring “Old Maids” by refinishing, repairing and recaining chairs they had rescued. From Maine to Texas you can find old and new chairs made or repaired by them. After many years of retirement on the road between Maine and Texas, Bobbye and Donald returned to live in Scarborough in 1999 where they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and the birth of their first great-grandchild, Allyson Marie, on July 29, 1999. In Dec. 2000, Bobbye suffered severe seizures, which necessitated a move to the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough, where she lived until her death. With her strong foundational belief in God and in the goodness of all, she lived her entire life centered on service to God and others. Even as her health declined, her life mirrored these words by Mother Teresa: “If you are kind, People may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway. People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered; Forgive them anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, others may be jealous; Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you have anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway”. Bobbye was predeceased by her parents; her brothers; and her husband of 60 years, Donald. She is survived and lovingly remembered by Donna Stephen, James and Virginia Weaver of Scarborough, Mary and Sandy Hastings of Loganville Ga., Brian, Heather, Allyson, Jack and Molly Stephen of Windham, Kristin and Paul Wright of Snellville, Ga., Mike and Stacy Weaver of Stoneham, Mass., Stephanie Hastings of Waco, Texas, Matthew Hastings of Athens, Ga., Jerry and Celia Weaver of Buda, Texas, Grace Weaver of Belton, Texas; nephews, nieces, her family at the Maine Veterans’ Home and those whose path she crossed. There was a celebration of Bobbye’s life 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 29, at the West Scarborough United Methodist Church, Scarborough. A reception followed at the Maine Veterans’ Home, Route 1, Scarborough. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to make a donation in Bobbye’s name to the Girl Scouts Kennebec Council, 138 Gannett Drive, South Portland, ME 04106 or Maine Veteran’s Home Activity Fund, 290 US Route 1, Scarborough, ME 04074. Arrangements made by the Hobbs Funeral Home, 230 Cottage Road, South Portland. Bobbye’s family would like to thank the staff at the Maine Veteran’s Home for your care, compassion and love for the last four and a half years. You truly made the “home”, her “home”. Thank you!