Joan Weaver Obituary

Joan Weaver
Aiken - On Sunday, November 29, 2020, Joan Weaver, a genuine angel here on Earth, left us 18 days before her 70th birthday, with her brother Paul, sister-in-law Tammy and niece Kelly constantly by her side. Her struggle with lung cancer never diminished her love for God, life, friends, family, strangers and fur babies.
Joan North Sullivan Weaver was the second of 5 children born in Aiken, SC on December 16, 1950, to Jean North Quirk Sullivan and Arthur Joseph Sullivan. She spent her early years living on the campus of Aiken Preparatory School where her parents both worked. Later, her father's job in Naval Intelligence, took the family to Guantanamo bay, Cuba, Texas and Washington, DC.
Joan later began a long career at Bogart and Brownell Insurance in DC. In 1979, she married Louis (Bud) Weaver. They spent many idyllic years on their Virginia property near the Shenandoah River, surrounded by nature and tending to vegetable gardens and fur babies. After caring for Bud in his 10 year battle with cancer, and her mother Jean's passing in 1996, Joan retired and moved to Aiken to care for her father Arthur, until his death in 2014. This enabled him to remain in his family home. She also cared for her brother, Mike until he passed later that same year. In 2015, Joan spent a year with her sister and brother-in-law in Austin, TX. What began as an extended vacation, unexpectedly turned into a year of helping care for her sister's husband as he battled Parkinson's.
Joan returned to Aiken in 2016 to focus on herself. (Full disclosure...Joan never focused on herself!) But she built a life in Aiken that enriched her and filled her spirit with joy and peace. Joan made many friends and her church, St. Augustine's Episcopal was her grounding force on Earth. Her faith was her essence and she was an example of Jesus' love in action every day of hr life. Her membership in Daughters of the King was one of her most cherished accomplishments.
Joan served God through her compassion and service to all she met. She spent over 20 years caring for others and helping them move through their last stages of life on this planet. Joan is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her brother Michael Joseph Sullivan; her two brothers-in-law, Michael Gibbons Sheehy and Michael Carter; and her great-nephew, Patrick Jack Cooper.
Joan is survived by her siblings, Nancy Sullivan Sheehy, Paul Dexter Sullivan and wife Tamara Bryant Sullivan, Elizabeth Corry Sullivan Carter, sister-in-law Christa Mann Sullivan, and cousin Diane and Jack Martino. Her beloved nieces and nephews: Kellyn Jean Sullivan, Jennifer Erin Woodward, Catherine North Sheehy, Ryan Michael Sullivan and wife Tabetha, Michael Christopher Sullivan, and Matthew Gibbons Sheehy were like children to her too. Joan was also a loving great-aunt to Hunter, Madison and Benjamin Sullivan, Peyton and Brayden Sullivan, and Maceo Sheehy.
Joan's sense of humor was unprecedented. Her quick wit was always on display and loved by all who knew her. No one could put life into perspective as Joan could. We all had better get off our "high horse" around her. There was no room in Joan's heart for pretenses. "Put on your big girl panties and deal with it!" was her mantra. Truth and humor were Joan's essence no matter where she went or who she talked with. Her joy and love were contagious. Rooms lit up when she walked in, you could just feel. it.
Joan spread joy, love, laughter and God's wisdom to everyone. There was no stranger that she would not welcome. Her friends and family will cherish her memory and her spirit will be with us always.
Because Joan donated her body to science, a memorial service will be held at a later date.