After Shirley Weaver battled breast cancer in 1980, she and her husband, George Weaver Jr., established an endowment in her name to support research at the WVU Cancer Institute.

Nearly 44 years later, George Weaver III and his wife, Ann, are celebrating his parents’ 90th birthdays with a $250,000 gift to boost the Shirley M. Weaver Research Fund to more than $1 million in contributions.

“We are so appreciative of the Weaver family’s ongoing generosity to bolster research,” Hannah Hazard-Jenkins, MD, executive chair and director of the WVU Cancer Institute, Jean and Laurence DeLynn Chair of Oncology, and associate professor of surgery at the WVU School of Medicine, said. “Unrestricted gifts like these offer needed flexibility as our team of clinicians, faculty, and staff works together to pursue innovative research projects that help lessen the cancer burden in West Virginia and beyond.”

Shirley and George Weaver, of Wheeling, have been dedicated supporters of the WVU Cancer Institute since the inception of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center in Morgantown. They have regularly attended the Spring Gala, a signature fundraising event held annually at The Greenbrier resort. Shirley co-chaired the second gala with longtime friend Joan Stamp.

“There’s been this family goal to see the fund become of some size with multigenerational gifts over the years, and I’m hopeful this donation gets us there,” George Weaver III said of his family’s gift.

Ann and George III are both WVU graduates who have made many contributions to the Cancer Institute, the Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Design, and more.

George grew up in the Wheeling area and graduated from the Holderness School, a college preparatory school in New Hampshire, before attending Allegheny College. He met Ann during his freshman year, but he struggled to focus on his studies. They both transferred to WVU between their sophomore and junior years. Ann earned a bachelor’s degree in education and George earned a bachelor’s degree in resource management.

“I came out of high school with a fair amount of success, and I turned myself upside down at Allegheny,” Weaver said. “I have a lot of affinity for WVU because I got myself back in gear, and I’ve been very lucky in my career. I have very good feelings for Morgantown and WVU for launching me into the real world out of academia.”

Weaver’s first job after graduation brought him to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he and Ann settled to raise their four children. He founded a branch office of Hazlett, Burt, & Watson – the same financial services firm his father led in Wheeling – in 1994 and continues to serve as chairman of the board. Ann handles development and marketing at Sacred Heart School.

Weaver serves on the WVU Foundation Board of Directors and previously served on the Davis College Visiting Advisory Committee. He and Ann are also involved with many community organizations and causes in the Lancaster area.

The couple’s gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University and its affiliated entities, as part of WVU Day of Giving. The 24-hour fundraising event, held March 20, 2024, raised $30.4 million from over 8,500 gifts.