James B. Weaver Jr.

James B. Weaver Jr., a prominent Georgetown businessman and amateur photographer, died at Georgetown Hospital on April 24. Jim Weaver was the President of W.T. Weaver & Sons, a leading decorative plumbing and hardware dealer, and one of Washington DC’s oldest originally owned family businesses. The business was founded by his grandfather Walter T Weaver, in 1889 and remains at its original location on Wisconsin Avenue between M Street and Prospect Street.

Under Jim’s leadership, the family owned business broadened its product line from contract supply to include decorative hardware for luxury residential real estate in greater Washington D.C. Weaver & Sons has supplied hardware for iconic DC locations such as the White House, Blair House, Dulles Airport, Ford’s Theater, and Hickory Hill.

Jim Weaver was also a prominent amateur photographer. As a teenager, Jim worked at the Washington Times Herald as a photographer. He enlisted in the US Army during the Korean War, serving as a photographer at Walter Reed Hospital. One assignment took him to the White House to photograph an Army reception, where he joined the receiving line to have his own photograph taken with President Eisenhower. About twenty minutes later, President Eisenhower looked up to see Jim Weaver going through the line again. President Eisenhower drily asked, “Son, haven’t we met before?” Jim replied, “Yes, Mr. President, but the first time around I didn’t like the picture!”

In his later years, he would take volumes of photographs of family and friends at virtually every occasion. His desire to capture the perfect image would routinely ask his audience to sit still for “just one more”, a request indelibly associated with Jim by all who knew him.

Jim Weaver served as a Board member of the National Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Hospital in Arlington VA in the 1990s. He was a longstanding member of the Georgetown Business Association, and was a founder of the Georgetown Businessman’s Parade, an annual event held each fall and chaired by Hardin & Weaver of WMAL.

Jim Weaver is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years Peggy of McLean, by his four children Peggy Ann Forbes (Richard) of Leesburg, Joan Inglesby (Thomas) of McLean, Bryce Weaver (Catherine Wymer) of McLean and Michael Weaver (Selena Brown) of McLean, and eleven grandchildren.

A visitation will be held from 4 to 8 pm on April 30 at the National Funeral Center on Lee Highway in Falls Church, with a funeral Mass at St Luke Catholic Church in McLean on May 1 at 11am.

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