Robert Ernest Weaver was born to Arthur and Natalie Weaver on November 9, 1954 and was the 4th of 6 siblings. He died, surrounded by his family, on November 28, 2020. The 66 years between those two dates were filled with a rich and beautiful life centered on faith, family, and service to his fellow man.

Babu, as he was called by his 6 grandkids, roughly translates from Urdu as “beloved old man”. This is strangely fitting, not only because he learned to speak Urdu fluently as a missionary child growing up in Pakistan, but also because he was so deeply loved by his grandkids, kids, and wife. His grandkids loved nothing more than to sit on Babu’s lap and listen to him regale them with animated stories about that magical and mischief-filled childhood in Pakistan.

Big Bob was admittedly and obviously a mountain of a man with a booming voice to match. A resonant baritone that could be heard most Sabbath mornings above the congregation, belting out the harmony of his favorite hymn. If one needed to locate Bob in a crowded room, one had only to stop and listen. He was also out-sized in many deeper and more meaningful ways. Large in kindness. Hugely generous. Vastly wise. Abundantly humourous. A massive bulwark of faith.

Dr. Bob possessed a more humble, caring, and calmly serene nature than many passing acquaintances realized. He loved little more than sitting in his recliner reading a good Civil War history book, researching the particulars of bulldozers, or planning his next upcoming family trip. Dr. Weaver’s gentleness and humble care were probably most clearly demonstrated to the thousands of patients he treated during the nearly 40 years he practiced Oral Maxillofacial Surgery through his practice, Specialized Surgeons. His policy was to treat all his patients with the same level of care, whether they played for the Detroit Red Wings or wandered in off the street, unable to pay. This policy extended to the myriad medical mission trips he regularly organized, attended, and funded to such places as Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, Micronesia and India to name a few.

The unfulfilled star at the top of his bucket list was to return to Malawi to offer free dental clinics and help complete a boys dormitory at Malawi Adventist University. This is a dream you can be a part of now and the details are listed below.