William J. "Bill" Weaver

William J. (Bill) Weaver died on Wednesday, February 4, 2004 at Villa Maria Nursing Home after a long illness. William J. (Bill) Weaver was born August 27, 1920 in Doyon, ND, to Edgar and Ruth Weaver. At the age of 10 the family moved to Webster, ND, where his father was manager of a grain elevator. Bill graduated from Webster High School in 1938, where he played four years on the basketball team and played trumpet in the school band for three years. After graduation his first radio sportscasting job was at KDLR in Devils Lake. He later moved to KOVC in Valley City and then on to KFYR in Bismarck. He left KFYR early in 1942 to join the United States Air Force as a fighter pilot. After nine months as an air cadet he was sent to England to fly P 47s with the 8th Air Force. He flew 81 missions over Germany and France and was credited with one German plane shot down, one probable, and one damaged. He was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses, five United States air medals, and four European Theater Ribbons. In 2001 he was inducted into the National Flying Cross Society. After the war he returned to KOVC in Valley City for a few months before joining WDAY as a sportscaster. He stayed at WDAY for eight years, and then spent one year in California in the specialty business before returning to WDAY when the station started television. He was the voice of the Bison on radio for a total of 19 years and was president of the Team Makers Club for two years. He was co-host of the TV show AParty Line@ for 11 years. He will be remembered for ending each sportscast with a wink and a smile and ?Win or lose, be a good sport.? After his TV and Radio career he bought the Caraway Company, an advertising specialty distributor, and ran it for 17 years before selling the company to S & S Specialties of Fargo. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Isabelle, his son Kevin(Linda) of Fargo, daughter Jane(Andy) Archer of Golden Valley, MN, grandchildren Lauren and Christian Archer and Billy and Jacquelyn Weaver of Bermuda Dunes, CA, and his sister Mary Bristow of Ashland, WI. He was preceded in death by his son, Dick; sister, Beth; brother, Lloyd; and his parents When Bill was in good health he said many times ?Life was good, I wouldn?t change a thing.? God loved him, so did we. Online guestbook at www.boulgerfuneralhome.com Arrangements by Boulger Funeral Home, Fargo.