Bruce Arthur Weaver

Bruce Arthur Weaver was born in Atlanta, GA on June 4, 1951. At the age of seven, his parents, Art and Annette, moved his sister Vickie and him to Nashville, TN. There he went to Percy Priest Elementary and Hillsboro High School. From a young age he was a talented swimmer and competed at the highest level. In fact, Bruce won an AAU national championship in high school and would qualify for the Olympic Trials. At his peak he was ranked 12th in the world in the 400 Intermediate Medley. Receiving a scholarship to the University of Texas at Arlington, Bruce went on to be an All-American. For the rest of his life, he would swim nearly every day, and his best friends in life would join him.

In Nashville, Bruce started his professional career as a meat salesman and soon took a job for Mississippi Trading Co., a wire goods manufacturer for the garment trade, as a salesman alongside his father. He would spend 30+ years at Mississippi Trading, traveling the country and world as their head sales representative. In an era of increased globalization and downward pressure on US manufacturing, Bruce became a pioneer on the internet. Before eBay became a popular company, he had started making a living by buying undervalued collectables at antique stores and then reselling them on the internet. With a love for baseball memorabilia that he shared with his son, Austin, Bruce had amassed one of the greatest collections in the world and became known as an expert appraiser in that industry. This hustle and creativity were hallmarks of his life, as he would do whatever it took to provide for his family. Eventually, his collecting and entrepreneurial spirit led him to try pipe carving. He was a long time Dunhill pipe collector, but on a trip to the Upper Peninsula Michigan, he learned to carve. In a short period of time, he became world-renowned and was even featured as the cover story in Pipe and Tobacco magazine. This was Bruce’s final profession though he continued to dabble with collectables for a hobby and additional income.

After Bruce completed his Bachelor of Business Administration in Texas, he moved back to Nashville and met Carol Orthwein, a student at the Peabody School at Vanderbilt at the time. He proposed at Sperry’s in Belle Meade and got married in 1976. He and Carol had three kids together, Keely Marie (1981), William Austin (1983), and Kelsey Elizabeth (1985). Although the relationship with Carol changed throughout time, Bruce’s love for her never ceased. Eventually, as a single parent he earned superhuman, legendary dad status with his peers. Bruce loved his kids more than anything, and he faithfully attended nearly every event they had and hustled to give them the best life possible. Keely became an All-American and Hall of Fame athlete at Belmont University that graduated with honors; Austin, an executive in the healthcare industry, was a three-time monogram winner and honors graduate at the University of Notre Dame and masters graduate at Vanderbilt University; and Kelsey graduated with highest honors at Belmont University and is one of the most influential leaders in the Financial Technology industry. He loved his grandchildren, Grace and Graham Corlew and Cullen and Liam Weaver. Most recently, he took them fishing by his house and would share popsicles whenever they came over.

Bruce had a unique personality and character that was truly unlike anybody else. He was wild and adventurous but even more faithful and honest. There was a hybrid style of being very particular and thoughtful along with silly and fun. He was thoughtful and precise and had infinite hustle. His intensity was always there. His virtues were known and respected, but it might be his sense of humor and willingness to do “his thing” that made him truly unique. He both loved humor and said what he thought in any given situation. This made for memorable wedding toasts, family dinners, and most importantly, the everyday, casual encounters. Almost everybody has his or her favorite “Bruce Weaver Moment.” He was known to many because of his presence in his neighborhood in Franklin, TN, where was considered the mayor of the ally that he lived in. There he would walk his dog, Zoe, multiple times a day and befriend every person that he saw. Often he would keep Kelsey's dog, Peanut, as she lived in New York and traveled the world for her job.

In his free time he loved all sorts of media and anything creative. He had his favorite shows, like Jeopardy, Deadliest Catch, and the PGA Tour. Then, there were his social media sites, Angry Birds, and all sorts of news outlets that he probably read with a cup of coffee, a Diet Pepsi, or a Fire Jolly Rancher. Bruce was always good for an off-color meme or quirky article to get passed around. He loved to text and call his friends and family, and he was committed to answering his phone whenever it rang, whether the timing was appropriate or not. He even called his daughter-in-law, Lauren, every week as they had a special bond as well. Like he did with his mother, whom he was very close with, he talked with his family daily, if not many times a day.

In 2014 Bruce experienced some chest pain and called his son on a late Friday night in the winter. They instantly went to the hospital together, where he was discovered to have an aortic aneurysm. The injury and recovery took its toll, but soon he was back in the pool and doing what he loved. He hated the feeling of getting old. In a bittersweet way, he would have appreciated that his last decline was short. He passed in his sleep on July 26 and was reunited with his parents in heaven.

As a converted Catholic, Bruce had a spiritual life that he passed along to his kids and showed in his daily walk and daily sacrifice of love. He was a gift from God to others, and he used his gifts for the betterment of this world. We miss him terribly but look forward to the day of being with him again.

Bruce supported fighting childhood cancer with the organization Sebastian Strong, and his family asks for donations there in lieu of flowers.