William "CJ" Weaver

There are ordinary people, and then there was William “CJ” Weaver (or “Chop,” as most friends knew him).

CJ left us unexpectedly on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, but he also left behind a trail of stories, laughter, and a whole lot of “Did he really just do that?” moments that will be told for years to come.

After all, CJ didn’t just live life...he stirred it.

If there was quiet, he filled it.

If there was a fire pit, he lit it.

If there was an empty seat next to you, he’d take it and talk your ear off until you became friends.

Born July 28, 1991, in Linton, IN, he was raised in Palestine and grew up coon hunting with his dad and the crew that became their second family. He graduated from Palestine High School in 2010, and from that point on, he was off to the races...literally. CJ was always in a hurry, always on the move, and drove like he thought speed limits were just suggestions. Ride with him once, and your fingerprints were permanently pressed into his dashboard.

But here’s the thing: for all that rushing, CJ was never too hurried to see people. He never met a stranger, and if you started out as one, you didn’t stay that way for long. Even the neighborhood kids knew how special he was. To them, he wasn’t just CJ, he was a kind of fun uncle, a big kid they could count on to get them laughing, wind them up, and make ordinary days feel like an adventure. Kids loved him every bit as much as he loved them.

But when it came to his own people, he was all in. CJ was the best husband, father, brother, uncle, and best friend anyone could ask for. He was fiercely family-oriented, the kind of man who would drop everything to help the ones he loved. If you were his, you never had to wonder where you stood. And part of the reason you never wondered is because CJ told you. He was a “tell it like it is” kind of guy who seemed to have been born without a filter. If you needed the truth, he gave it to you.

He loved the outdoors, but not in a quiet, nature-documentary sort of way. CJ was happiest when there was dirt on his boots, smoke in the air, and maybe even a little danger involved. Hunting and fishing were his therapy, but bonfires were his masterpiece, preferably with his people gathered round. Guns? He loved those too. Not just having them, but making a whole event out of shooting them. If there was a day to kill, CJ would fill it with target practice, friends, and enough spent shells to make you wonder if you’d accidentally stumbled onto some military training exercise.

And if he wasn’t doing any of that, he was probably building something: model derby cars, random survival kits, or whatever outrageous project popped into his head that week. He had a way of turning an ordinary day into a story worth telling. He was, after all, a different kind of crazy. The best kind. And we wouldn’t have had him any other way.

CJ married the love of his life, Dannica Waggoner, on October 30, 2021. They were soulmates, the kind of couple who did everything together, who could read each other’s minds, who were the same in many ways and different in others. It was a one-of-a-kind love, and though it wasn’t always easy, Dannica wouldn’t have had it any other way. CJ's proudest title was “Dad” to William Weaver III, who will no doubt continue to hear plenty of stories about the legend he came from.

He is also survived by his sisters & brothers-in-law, Kate & Allen Wood, Candi & JD Welch, and Jess Weaver; by several nieces and nephews who adored him; by his sisters-in-law, Mary & Richard Snow and Reeve Dennis; by his "Granny"; by his mom, Polly; and by the friends who were really brothers, Eli & Chey Miller, Raymond & Cassie Kingery, and Brad Weck. He was preceded in death by his dad, Bill Weaver; his grandfathers, Charles “Pappy” Weaver and “Pap”; and his cousin and best friend, Sonny Ramsey.

A time of visitation will be held from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 16th, at the Goodwine Funeral Home in Palestine. A memorial service will follow at 2:00 p.m., with Celebrant Curt Goodwine officiating. During the service, family and friends will be given the mic to share their best stories; the ones that make you laugh, shake your head, and say, “Yep, that was CJ.”

Memorial contributions may be made to his memorial fund, with checks payable to Goodwine Funeral Homes. Online donations may also be made at goodwinefuneralhomes.com/payments.