Jeffrey John Weber

Jeffrey John Weber

Iowa City

Jeffrey John Weber, 77, a longtime resident of Iowa City, died on Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, at Lantern Park Specialty Care in Coralville, Iowa. Jeff, the son of Patricia and David Weber, was born on June 4, 1945, and grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he attended Washington High school before graduating from Regis High School in 1963.

Jeff was very inquisitive as a young boy and loved reading National Geographic magazine, especially accounts of Marco Polo and other great adventurers. He envisioned himself in their footsteps and even drew up plans for rafting down the Mississippi river and someday trekking through Asia over the Silk Road.

When Jeff was 8 years old, he heard about the “Iron Curtain” and decided to write a letter to Vyacheslav Molotov. He told the Russian Foreign Minister that he thinks “the business of the iron curten is bad” and pointed out that “defenseless people are being caught behind it.” He also wrote to President Eisenhower to let him know that “we pray you can do something about it.”

Jeff also had a strong interest in amateur (ham) radio. Although he didn’t particularly care how it worked, he acquired his general class license and developed a talent for high-speed telegraphy, communicating with people all over the world using CW (Morse code). A highlight of his ham radio days was talking to the first person in space, the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who sent Jeff a QSL card commemorating their meeting. After a visit to our home by Venezuelan classical guitarist Alirio Diaz, Jeff developed an interest in classical guitar and began to teach himself. By the time he was in high school, his music interests shifted to rock and roll, leading to the formation of various rock bands that played locally.

After graduating, Jeff decided to enlist in the Marine Corps, much to the chagrin of his parents. While stationed at Camp Pendleton, he joined with some fellow Marines to form another rock band, “The Limits,” that played at the E club. Jeff was eventually deployed to Da Nang, Vietnam, during the war, where he found the people and the hot humid weather much to his liking. As the war progressed, he became disillusioned by the senseless political morass of it all.

After Jeff left the Marines, he came to Iowa City and received his first GI Bill payment. True to his character, instead of enrolling in the university, he got together with Pat Hazell and formed another band, Mother Blues. What followed was a quintessential period in his life. He was able to do something he truly loved. Later on, he discovered skydiving, which he relished for several years.

Jeff was a victim of Parkinson’s disease and received generous benefits, both medically and financially from the Iowa City VA for exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. He is survived by his brother, Steve and his wife Nancy (Boersma) Weber of Iowa City; niece, Emily (Ben) Peterson, Max, Greta and Liesl; and nephew, Matt (Jenn) Weber and Sophie. He was preceded in death by his mother and father.

The family would like to thank Lantern Park Specialty Care and Care Initiatives Hospice for their dedication and compassion. Jeff also loved animals almost as much as our family dogs loved him.

No memorial is planned; however, memorial donations may be directed to any animal welfare organization.