Monte Weaver

Jul 5, 1935 -

Mar 25, 2025

Monte Weaver was born on July 5, 1935, in Sandpoint, Idaho, to Esther and Herschel Weaver. Monte grew up in the idyllic town of Sandpoint on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. His father owned and operated the renowned Lighthouse Restaurant, and it was there while Monte was home from college and cooking in his father's restaurant that he met his first wife, June. Monte and June were both students at the University of Idaho and were married in 1957. In January 1959, they welcomed their daughter Sheryl. Shortly after Monte graduated with his degree in geology he was hired by the State of Alaska and in 1960, he packed up his young family and headed north. Monte had a very successful career as a geologist with the state, with much of his early work being done on the Parks Highway. Working as a field geologist in his early career and spending a good amount of time working remotely in Alaska was a perfect fit for his love of the outdoors. Over the years, he hunted, hiked, biked and skied all over the state. Monte kept a Catalina sailboat in Whittier, Alaska, and enjoyed many summers fishing and exploring the coves and shoreline of Prince William Sound. Monte was notorious for missing the last train out in the evening and having to walk through the tunnel to reach his waiting car.

In fall 1999, Monte married Judy Thompson in a small private ceremony at their home in Eagle River, Alaska. Together, they enjoyed traveling around Alaska in their motorhome, as well as spending several months out of the year at their place on the Big Island of Hawaii. Monte and Judy had many friends in Hawaii and he enjoyed sea kayaking and biking all over and around the island. When the members of their condo complex would gather in the evening to watch sunset, Monte would laughingly refer to them as his "favorite geriatric conga line."

Monte took great joy in witnessing his daughter Sheryl and her husband Kevin raise their three children: Kyle, Kinsey and Alex. He was a devoted and enthusiastic grandfather, and you could count on him to be at every class play, music performance or sporting event. Always with his camera ready, Monte cherished the time and sharing those events with his family. Monte had a competitive streak as well and competed in the early years of Iditasport, as well as being active in the Arctic Bicycle Club, even competing in Europe at Masters World Championships for cross-country ski racing. Monte remained very active into his late 70s and early 80s with both cross-country skiing, hiking and later fat biking.

Monte's wife, Judy, of over 25 years passed away in July 2025. He survived by his daughter, Sheryl and her husband, Kevin; and grandchildren, Kyle and his wife Jamie, Kinsey and her husband Mark, and Alex. A celebration of Monte's life is planned for spring 2026. Monte adored the Eagle River Nature Center and, in lieu of flowers, a donation in his memory would be welcomed there. Monte leaves a huge void in the lives of those who knew and loved him. His kindness, love of family and the natural world is something we can all strive to carry forward in his memory.