The university is mourning the passing of professor emeritus John T. Weaver, who passed away peacefully, at the age of 92, on Saturday, April 26. Our thoughts our with his wife Ludmilla, his three children and eight grandchildren.
John was a longtime professor in the department of Physics and Astronomy and the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences until his retirement in 1998. He spent eight years as chair of the Physics and Astronomy Department, and five years as Dean of Science. He is remembered as a superb leader and voice of reason during discussions, kind, fair and supportive, and was respected and admired by his colleagues.
John was born in Birmingham, UK, and earned an honours degree in mathematics from Bristol University. He came to Canada to complete an MSc and PhD in physics at the University of Saskatchewan, and then moved to Victoria to work as a research scientist at the Pacific Naval Laboratory in Esquimalt. In 1966, he accepted a faculty position at UVic, where he spent the next 32 years.
John served as dean during a transformative time for the Faculty of Science. He helped to foster the growth and development of the new School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, the Centre for Earth and Ocean Research, and the VENUS and NEPTUNE cabled ocean observatories, and instituted a teaching awards program. He also led the division’s transition from within the Faculty of Arts and Science to an independent Faculty of Science. Weaver’s energy, devotion and vision for expansion were critical in the success of these initiatives.
John was also devoted to his research and was passionate about studying geophysics, in particular geomagnetism. He was effective in solving many problems in electromagnetic induction within the Earth and made significant progress in all aspects on this topic. His research has had applications in exploration geophysics, sea-floor exploration and the detection of submarines. In 1994, he published a book on mathematical methods for geo-electromagnetic induction in the Earth intended for both newcomers to the field and practising researchers.
John remained an active part of the UVic community post-retirement. He continued his research for many years, actively supported individuals for scholarships and prizes, and was constantly acting as a coach for new faculty members. He was a longtime attendee of monthly lunches at Spinnakers Pub with fellow retired academics, and attended Friday evenings at the University Club up until his passing. A funeral service for John was held on May 5. Condolence messages may be shared online. A recording of the service can also be found online.
