PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — The Prince William Board of County Supervisors opened its July 29 meeting with a solemn tribute to their late colleague, Gainesville District Supervisor Bob Weir, who passed away earlier this month.
“All right, everyone, it is 2 o’clock. I’m asking that everyone take a seat. We are going to begin with a moment of silence, and it’s going to be in honor of our colleague who we lost, Supervisor Bob Weir,” said Chair At-Large Deshundra Jefferson.
“Supervisor Bob left an incredible mark on our county, and his unexpected loss is a loss for all of us. So I’m honored that his team has joined us today. I’m honored because I know I have a lot of people here who are coming to speak in honor of him.”
Jefferson announced a series of events to honor Weir. “The town of Haymarket is going to do a proclamation on August 4th at 7 o’clock in his honor, and we as a board are going to do a proclamation on September 9th at the 2 o’clock session, I believe. We’re still working to make sure that’s firmed up.”
“There is going to be a celebration of his life and legacy that no other than Giuseppe’s on September 27th from 1 o’clock to 4 o’clock. Please be casual, okay? Please be casual. That’s how Bob would have wanted things.”
Special Election Initiated
Later in the meeting, the board voted unanimously to begin the formal process to fill Weir’s now-vacant seat.
“I move to authorize the county attorney to notify the Circuit Court of the vacancy created by the untimely death of Gainesville District Supervisor Robert Bob Weir, member of the Prince William County Board of County Supervisors, and to petition the Circuit Court for a writ of special election,” said Supervisor Yesli Vega.
The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
Public Reflections on Bob Weir
During the public comment period, residents lined up to remember Weir.
“Bob was a dear friend for more than 20 years, and I will miss very much our phone calls,” said Elena Schlossberg. “And I think the one person on this board that’s going to miss Bob the most is (Prince William County Attorney Michelle Robl). Bob had many years with you, Michelle, and you will never find another sparring partner as intelligent, as thoughtful, and as dedicated to the truth as Bob.”
“And I can’t help but comment on the beginning of this board meeting, life goes on. And for me, in Judaism, we believe that each one of us lives on through our deeds. And that is how we are best remembered.”
Rachel Ellis of the Gainesville District said, “Supervisor Weir understood these things. He made it a priority to understand this and anything else that would impact county residents, whether they lived in his district or not. Bob truly represented the residents first. He was not a politician. Bob pushed for transparency and accountability in this county. You could trust Bob. Bob had integrity. He could not be bought. I look forward to seeing Bob’s portrait in chambers, maybe back here where citizens stand to speak as he always listened to residents and put our interests above developers.”
Jessica Grove, also from the Gainesville District, spoke with her son beside her: “Bob didn’t sugarcoat anything. He didn’t lie. He had morals that, oddly enough, even I have a hard time living up to.”
“And I hope that if we have Bob’s picture hanging in here, that when you put votes that affect my end of the county… that you remember the morals and the ethics that Bob held for our end of the county. And, you know, really, just for the entire county.”
Her son, Miles, added: “So we got to find a better, more, we got to find someone as good as Bob. And hopefully, like, just find someone that will be honest to us and serve the community and love nature the way Bob did.”
George Stewart said, “Bob wasn’t always the smoothest in his delivery. And I appreciated that. I appreciated that. I was raised by a guy that was just like Bob, kind of crispy and burnt around the edges, but had a moral compass that could never, ever, ever be compromised.”
“And, you know, Bob is now, he’s running things upstairs. And, you know, and I know he’s, while he’s not in hell, he’s giving them hell, you know, as he always will, as he always have.”
Reflections from the Dais
Supervisors also shared their memories and reflections.
Supervisor Vega spoke emotionally: “Bob was somebody that truly cared. He was somebody that was, in fact, a softy, and although he never really expressed his emotions or how he felt, you could tell when he was proud or when something really excited him.”
“I vividly remember how proud he was of the kid when he became one of Prince William County’s finest, and he graduated from the police academy, the way that he would talk about his girls.”
“Rest easy, my friend. We’ll take it from here as far as we can, and to his wife and children, our prayers are with you all.”
Supervisor Margaret Franklin recalled: “A little secret that I think my colleagues know that maybe the public isn’t aware is that Supervisor Weir was a big softy. And he hated when I told him that, but he really was.”
Chair Jefferson said, “Bob made me a better leader.”
Supervisor Victor Angry urged action in Weir’s memory: “It is very important to schedule yourselves for colonoscopies, okay? We work very hard in this position, and oftentimes we don’t think about ourselves… Please schedule yourself for a colonoscopy.”
A celebration of Bob Weir’s life and legacy will be held on Saturday, September 27, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Giuseppse’s Restaurant, 15120 Washington Street in Haymarket. A proclamation honoring him is scheduled for September 9 during the board’s 2 p.m. session.
