Gerald David Weaverling

Gerald “Jerry” David Weaverling went home to Jesus on November 27, 2024, at age 79. Though we were not ready for him to be called home yet, and our hearts are deeply saddened by his unexpected loss, we are comforted in knowing that he is at peace with our Lord.

As brightly as his smile shone for us here on Earth, his star now shines brightly upon us from Heaven above as we cherish the blessing of our time with him and hold those memories forever in our hearts. We will miss him dearly but know his spirit lives on through all of us whose lives he touched with his love.

Jerry was born March 11, 1945 in Yorkshire, England, to the late James B. Weaverling, a U.S. Army soldier, and the late Peggy Weaverling, a British Royal Air Force member. He crossed the ocean on the Queen Mary, arriving in the United States on April 6, 1946.  Jerry grew up in Arnold, MD and graduated from Severna Park High School. As a teenager, he developed his lifelong love of cars, engines, and all things mechanical while working at his Dad’s Texaco Gas Station across from the old Pancake House on Route 50 outside of Annapolis.  He worked as a telephone lineman for the C&P Telephone Company and drove a big rig 18-wheeler for a short time. He then went on to work with his dad and brother for Refuse Removers, and later with his brother’s family-owned company, Omega Disposal, in Glen Burnie, as well as the Owl Corporation recycling center in Dundalk.  For the last 20+ years he worked as a diesel mechanic for MultiParts in Brooklyn, MD.  He loved working with his hands, as evidenced by the permanent grease and oil stains on his fingers, and he enjoyed any mechanical challenge … even if it involved some foreign or newfangled part that was nothing but “junk.” Jerry was very talented and could figure out how to fix anything. He was very generous with his skills and was always happy to lend a hand to family, friends, neighbors and strangers alike.

Jerry was also a talented musician. He grew up with country and bluegrass music, learning to play guitar alongside his dad and Uncle Bill, and eventually went on to play the guitar and upright bass in several bluegrass bands. Along with his beloved wife, Marie, he enjoyed going to and playing in a variety of bluegrass festivals - from big formal planned events to informal gatherings at the barn or a backyard or church. He enjoyed sharing his love of music with friends and family, teaching guitar to several of his grandchildren, especially instilling that love of music in his grandson Cameron who now plays with his own band.

Jerry was like the Energizer Bunny. He never stopped. If he wasn’t working, or fixing something, or tinkering with a car or tractor, or playing music, then he would be spending time with his family and friends. He was a devout member of Fellowship Church in White Plains, MD and enjoyed growing and sharing his faith and fellowship. He was a friend to all who met him.

He loved playing with and teaching his adoring great-granddaughters, Ciara and Roxanne. They were his special sidekicks, always tagging along and helping him - or supervising him - as he worked on projects around the house or played his music.  He enjoyed supporting and encouraging them in church, sports, and school, and was always excited to wear and show off anything they made for him. 

Jerry is survived by his loving wife, Bonnie “Marie” Windsor-Weaverling; daughter, Wendy Weaverling Schaefer and son-in-law Bryan Schaefer; grandson Cameron Schaefer and his fiancé, Emma Hoesman; sister Dawn Weaverling and brother-in-law Jimmy Swing; great-granddaughters Ciara and Roxanne Siegel; step-daughter Ginger (Mike) Coggins and her family; step-son Joey (Mary) Tedder and his family; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins and their families. 

Jerry is preceded in joining the Lord by his parents, James B. Weaverling and Peggy Weaverling and his brother, Roger J. Weaverling.

A visitation for family and friends will be held on Sunday, December 8, 2024, from 1:30-2:30PM at Fellowship Church, 9805 Faith Baptist Church Rd., White Plains, MD 20695. Visitation will be followed by a prayer service and fellowship meal at the church. 

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting those wishing to honor Jerry’s memory may make contributions to the education fund for his great-granddaughters, Ciara and Roxanne Siegel. Checks may be made payable to SMCA, with a notation “for the Siegel education fund,” and mailed to:  Southern Maryland Christian Academy (SMCA), P.O. Box 1668, White Plains, MD 20695, ATTN: Christina Goshorn.  Online contributions may be made through the Fellowship Church via PayPal.