Gordon "Buck" S Weaver

Gordon “Buck” Weaver passed away at the Arizona State Veteran’s Home-Phoenix, one month shy of his 93rd birthday. He was born in Rockford, Illinois to Florence and Franklin Weaver. He grew up on the family dairy farm in Wisconsin with his sister, parents and grandparents during the Great Depression. Two months after his 16th birthday, he slipped away to enlist in the Navy before transferring to the Marine Corps. He served in the South Pacific and earned battle stars at Bougainville, Guam and Iwo Jima. After the war, he wed Mary Loudenslager (deceased) and eventually had five sons. Buck was called up from the Marine Reserve to serve in Korea. After the truce, he returned to Wisconsin and in 1957 the family moved to Arizona. Buck worked at the Tempe Post Office for the next 32 years, with only a break in 1966-69 to serve in Vietnam. At 39, he served in a combat zone near the DMZ, and was at the siege of Khe Sanh. After his final tour, he was honorably discharged as a Gunnery Sergeant. Among his many decorations are a Bronze Star-V and three Purple Hearts. For decades Buck was active in Veterans’ organizations including the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Marine Corps League and the Military Order of the Purple Heart. In many of these, he held leadership positions and engaged in fund raising for programs that benefited Veterans. He also volunteered for years at the Phoenix Veterans’ Hospital. He was a lifetime member of the Mesa Buckhorn Elks Lodge.

Buck loved his family and enjoyed people. He was modest and humble; known for his humor, generosity and an extraordinarily strong sense of duty to honor and serve God, family and country. He is survived by sons Howard, Gordon, Michael and Stephan; grandchildren Vanessa (Maurer), Jennifer (Tamburelli ), Haley and David Weaver; and great grandchildren Nolan, Addison and Olivia (Maurer); Avery and Atticus (Tamburelli), and Eleanor (Holland). Services will be held at Green Acres Mortuary in Scottsdale on a later date and time. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Disabled American Veterans or an organization of your choosing.