James K. Weaver
Marriages
Kathleen "Kathie" Freeman - 1976
Obituaries
g page 8A Death Notice - September 22, 2017
Former Glenwood Springs resident, Dr. James K. Weaver, 88,
Scottsdale, Arizona, died Sept. 20, 2017 in Scottsdale.
No services will take place.
He was an orthopedic surgeon.
Survivors include his wife, Kathleen.
Condolences to Kathie Weaver, P.O. Box 2831, Glenwood Springs
81602.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3D Obituary - October 15, 2017
James Kilburn Weaver, age
88, died in Scottsdale,
Arizona on September 20,
2017, of a massive stroke. He
was with his loving wife.
James was born in Fort
Collins, Colorado on April 8,
1929, to Jess and Saville
Weaver. When Jim was an
infant, his family moved to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where
he was raised. Jim excelled in both academics and sports. After
graduating from high school in 1947 he went on to Harvard
University, where he graduated, was captain of the Harvard Ski
Team, and excelled at ski jumping.
Following Harvard, he returned to Colorado and earned his
Doctorate of Medicine at the University of Colorado. This was
followed by an orthopaedic residence at the same institution. He
then did a year fellowship of additional training at the
University of Edinburgh in Scotland under the world-renowned
Dr. J.I.P. James. He then returned to the University of Colorado
as an assistant professor.
Jim always excelled in academics and wrote numerous articles
and book chapters. He then moved to Truth or Consequences,
New Mexico, where he ran the Carrier Tingley Hospital for
Crippled Children for two years. Jim was then named Chief of
the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of New
Mexico in Albuquerque, where he spent many years training
young residents and fellows.
Jim specialized in total joint replacement surgery, children’s
orthopaedics, and sports medicine. The “Weaver-Dunn
Procedure” was developed by Jim and his resident, Harold
Dunn, M.D., and is still used in shoulder reconstructions today.
Jim and his dad, Jess Weaver, were charter members of the the
Glenwood Hot Springs Pool. Jim was a board member until
shortly before his death.
Jim married the “love of his life” Kathleen Freeman Weaver in
1976. They spent the next 41 years together “bonded at the hip”
and were inseparable. They moved to Aspen Colorado and
started Aspen Orthopaedic Associates with Dr. Bob Oden.
Kathy and Jim traveled with the US Ski Team for several years.
They moved down to Glenwood Springs and opened Aspen
Orthopaedics of Glenwood Springs and Aspen for the remainder
of his orthopaedic career.
After he retired from Aspen Orthopaedics, with his exuberant
energy, they bought 100 acres of land in Fruita, Colorado where
they built a beautiful home, and raised a herd of 100 buffalo, all
of which while continuing to work part time as an orthopaedists
for the Rocky Mountain Orthopaedic Group in Grand Junction,
Colorado. Jim and Kathie, and their two goldens, Frankie and
Johnny, recently retired to Scottsdale, Arizona.
To know Jim and Kathie was to know their beloved golden
retrievers, Billy 1, Teddy, Billy 2, Frankie and Johnny. They
loved their goldens and never went anywhere without them.
While living in Fruita, a repairman was alarmed when the dogs
jumped into the swimming pool. Kathie said “No worries, that is
why we built it!”
Jim had a zest for life, especially the out-of-doors. He and
Kathie spent many hours on horseback going up the Jess
Weaver trail to their cabin on the Flat Tops Wilderness Area.
Jess Weaver, Jim’s Dad, built that cabin in the 30’s and Jim
spent many summers there. Jim and Kathie loved to fly fish on
No Name Creek close to their home.
Jim was quiet, but had a great, witty, subtle sense of humor. If
you didn’t pay attention, you would miss it. Jim and Kathie built
their home on No Name Creek with minimal help. Each night,
Kathie would ask him to look at how much they had done that
day and Jim would always answer “I will look when we are
finished.”
In 1978 he and his father were going up to the cabin. The
water was high. Jess and his horse were flipped by the water and
Jess did not survive. It took Jim ten years to convince the Forest
Service to supply the materials for a bridge at that crossing. Ten
years to the day of Jess’ death the National Guard Helicopters
airlifted two, 700 pound steel bridge abutments to the bridge
site. Jim quickly recruited every friend he had to go up the trail
to build bridge. They actually were able to build two bridges
and plus carve out another trail. Jim knew he had to get it done
that summer because “he was running out of friends....” He
never left a job unfinished.
Jim is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Katie; daughter,
Sally, and two grandsons, Jess and James. He is predeceased by
his parents, Jess and Saville; his son, Jess Jr, anddaughter, Jill.
Jim left an indelible mark on the orthopaedic community, as
well as all w ho knew him and he will be dearly missed.
A celebration of his life will be held at the Red Barn Guest
Ranch, 345 County Road 262 (the intersection of Mid Valley
Lane and Peach Valley Road), Silt, Colorado at 2:00 p.m. on
Sunday, October 22, 2017.
