Ralph Steele Weaver, II

Ralph Steele Weaver, II, died peacefully in his sleep on February 24, 2026, three months shy of his ninetieth birthday.

Born on May 21, 1936, to the late Thomas E. Weaver, Sr., and Emma Brenneman Weaver of Catasauqua, PA, he studied at Mercersburg Academy, Gettysburg College, Duke University, and the Dickinson School of Law before settling in Allentown, PA, to pursue a law career, first in a firm with his father and brother and then in a private practice, which he operated until he retired in 2004. He married Margaret Hudsco, also of Catasauqua, on May 18, 1968, and together they raised three children in Allentown before moving to Raleigh, NC, in 2008.

An avid lover of nature with a Master’s degree in forestry, Ralph surrounded himself with animals. The Weaver household never had fewer than two cats (often more!), and he fed a veritable menagerie of wild animals in the back yard: birds, squirrels, feral cats, skunks, and more. He also enjoyed listening to classical music, both live in concert and on the radio, and going on road trips with Margaret, with whom he traversed the entire Eastern Seaboard from Maine to Florida. But above all things, he enjoyed being surrounded by his family and celebrating their successes. It’s thus fitting that he died in Savannah, GA, where he had traveled with his wife and daughter to celebrate his granddaughter’s birthday.

Ralph is survived by his two older siblings, Janet L. Weaver of New York City and Thomas E. Weaver, Jr. (and wife Margery) of Allentown and Bonita Bay, FL, his wife Margaret, his two daughters Louise Brodbeck and Janet Thomas (and husband Scott), both of Raleigh, his son Andrew H. Weaver (and husband Daniel) of Washington, DC, and three grandchildren: Bethany Brodbeck and Jen and Cole Thomas.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the SPCA of Wake County, NC (200 Petfinder Lane Raleigh, NC 27603-6075), and Cornell Lab of Ornithology (159 Sapsucker Woods Road Ithaca, NY 14850).