Cheryl Arnold Weaver
Jan. 10, 1949-Sept. 11, 2024
Palo Alto, California
Cheryl Arnold Weaver was born Cheryl Eileen Arnold on Jan. 10, 1949 in Hastings, NE as the only child of Rollan Louis (R.L.) and Laura Evelyn Arnold (née Elifritz), and was brought home to a house built by her father. When Cheryl was two years old, her family moved briefly to Fillmore, CA before returning to Nebraska, settling in Kearney (later again, Hastings). As a little Nebraskan, she enjoyed playing with friends, attending church and eating cherries off the tree that grew over the fence into their yard. She also learned persistence when she tried to teach herself to ride a bicycle in the snow!
In 1959, the family paid a visit to family friends in the Bay Area and rode the California Zephyr. Young Cheryl was captivated by the mild climate, the Golden Gate Bridge and all of the adventures not part of life back home. In 1960, they moved to Palo Alto, CA, where she would stay for the rest of her life. Cheryl attended Lytton Elementary (participating in Girl Scouts), Jordan Junior High, and Palo Alto (Paly) High School, where she graduated in 1967. As a high school student, she made many lifelong friends and was active in the Latin Club.
She attended Stanford University, majoring in Classics and minoring in Mathematics. In the fall of 1968, she bumped into James (Jim) Weaver, a Paly classmate, on the steps outside of Meyer Undergraduate Library, and they soon had their first date at a football game. In spring and summer of 1969, she participated in the overseas studies program in Florence, Italy. She maintained a long-distance relationship with Jim, including a romantic meet-up in Paris that was almost sabotaged by a train strike.
Cheryl completed her Bachelor of Arts (1971; cum laude) and remained at Stanford to complete her Master of Arts in Education (1972) with the intent to become an elementary school teacher. Jim and Cheryl were married July 1, 1973 at Stanford Memorial Church. Cheryl worked as an editor for a local textbook company and Annual Reviews, and she and Jim purchased their home a few years later. They remained faithful members of Wesley United Methodist Church for 50 years, making lifelong friends through groups such as the young families of Fellowship of the Way.
During these years, Cheryl developed an unshakeable devotion to the Stanford football team, with a particular highlight being trips to the 1971 and 1972 Rose Bowls. She held season tickets the rest of her life and never left a game before the clock ran out, no matter how certain the result appeared to be.
In 1979, Jim and Cheryl welcomed their son, David, into the world 7 ½ weeks early at home. In 1983, daughter Sarah was born at Stanford Hospital. Over the years as a stay-at-home mom, Cheryl spent many hours involved with Brownies/Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, the Ohlone Elementary School PTA, and attending her kids’ many band performances and various sports games.
Cheryl conducted extensive genealogy research in the 1970s and then again 30 years later. She kept track of all extended family members and found long-forgotten burial plots around the country. She also worked to ensure that the family legacy on Jim’s side continued through membership in the Alden Kindred of America.
Ever an eager (and highly organized) traveler, Cheryl arranged trips around the country as the children got older, including an epic half-country tour in 1990 covering the intermountain West, the Plains, and the Southwest, the highlight of which was revisiting many aunts, uncles, and cousins in Nebraska. A devotee of “America’s Best Idea,” Cheryl also made sure the family visited national parks and monuments, including Mount Rainier, Crater Lake, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, Craters of the Moon, Yosemite, Meteor Crater, Petrified Forest, Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the Grand Canyon.
The family grew again with weddings in 2008 (David and Jennifer) and 2019 (Sarah and Mark); the arrival of five grandchildren from 2010–2024 extended the family yet again. In her final months and days, her newest granddaughter, Katherine, brought her great joy and comfort.
In the 2010s, she and Jim followed her travel bug to England to visit Sarah in her doctoral program and then for her Ph.D ceremony. The renewed success of the Stanford football team also prompted trips to the Sun Bowl, Fiesta Bowl and three more Rose Bowls. In 2018, she fulfilled a longtime dream of traveling to Hawaii (Kaua’i), which was followed by a return trip in 2019 (Big Island).
Cheryl always displayed an almost frightening ability to recall arcane details or notice details easily overlooked by mere mortals. In addition to serving as the family archivist, she urged others to write down the most important stories from their own lives, giving the gift of family history to future generations. Ever a conscientious citizen, she was a voracious consumer of news and studiously prepared for elections by reading ballot measures carefully and doing her homework before casting her vote. Though clear-headed, she was an optimist at heart.
In the late spring of 2020, Cheryl was diagnosed with very early stage uterine cancer, which was followed by surgery and radiation. In May 2023, she and Jim joined Sarah and her husband for a much-anticipated trip to Disney World. That July, they celebrated 50 years of marriage. By Christmas of 2023, she was in remission before the cancer returned the following spring. Despite her illness, she continued to visit family, watch her favorite television shows and carry on as best she could. She especially enjoyed visits from old friends and continued to concern herself with looking after others to the end. Her encyclopedic knowledge and attentive care will be sorely missed.
Cheryl is survived by her husband James; son David Weaver (Jennifer) and grandchildren John (14), Grace (11), Savannah (9), and Nathaniel (6); daughter Sarah Weaver (Mark Rubin) and granddaughter Katherine (3 mos.). She is preceded in death by her parents and numerous extended family members.
Tags: arts/media, teacher/educator, public service
