CELEBRATING
the wonderful life of
Don Weller
Celebration of Life
Saturday, February 27
2:00 PM EST/ 1:00 PM CST/ 11:00 AM PST
Please join us in remembering Don’s life.
Be sure to bring your favorite beverage to toast a life well lived. Don loved tie dye so wearing it is optional!
Before the day of the ceremony
1. Please register to attend the ceremony by clicking the button below.
2. If you do not already have Zoom, please download the application below.
On the day of the ceremony
Please refer to your registration email for instructions on joining the ceremony. Feel free to email hello@lightenarrangements.com if you need help.
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Please share your favorite memories of Don.
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Photos of Don
If you have photos that you would like to share with Don’s family, please email them to hello@lightenarrangements.
Photos of Don
Please enjoy these moments from Don’s life that Don’s family has chosen to share.
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Tribute Videos
Please join us in Celebrating Don’s life by sharing your favorite stories, special memories, or a video made on your cell phone.
Please submit videos by 3/5/2021
Don, a man and professional, who always wanted the best for those he counseled.
Your Beliefs
Your attitude
Your thoughts
Your perspective
How honest you were, Dr. Don!
Chris and Larry Schaaf
Bloomington, IN.
Don was, and always will be, the son of our good friends Dianne and Russ Weller. Don intersected with my life after he was injured in college and returned to Chicago to enter the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, now the Shirley Ryan Abilitylab. I had been involved for a long time as a Board member, so I could provide some help with getting Don connected to and entered into the RIC. As such, I felt compelled to be there when he arrived. It’s not often that I have been involved at such an intimate level, and , as such, I could see how Don, Debby and Russ were coping with this traumatic and instantaneous change in their lives. It was very moving. I could see, though, immediately, that they all had the coping skills needed to navigate their lives moving forward. The RIC could give them the needed ingredient in this mix — hope. Don tackled his recovery with a tenacity that never left him. He created a life well-lived, something all of us aspire to with varying degrees of success. I am so sad he left us too soon, as we all are, but we are all richer for having known him.
Don was a man who believed in the dignity of others, and lived his life with a great deal of dignity. I remember talking with Don when we gathered for Gramps Jones’ memorial. He shared with me of his work within the prison and how he saw beyond the sentence to the heart of the person. While I know that work was not easy, I could see what a difference he was making with his clients there. He was an inspiration to so many.
We met Don just after the accident while he was a student at Hobart College. Lots of dinners, times down at the rink watching our kids play hockey, Don was such an example of courage. He was looking to find his path, and he obviously did. What a life of living and loving!
Don and Mary became our “across the street” neighbors more than 7 years ago and they soon became our dear friends. Don inspired us with his determination to live life to the fullest. We loved him for being so kind, thoughtful, interesting, and just for being a really good guy. When our grand kids would see him outside they would always ask to go across the street to see “Mr. Don.” He always visited with them and asked them questions, but more importantly, when they had questions for him he answered them. One day we overheard a wonderful conversation between Don and our 3 year old granddaughter who wanted to know, “Why do you need to be in that wheelchair?” He answered the
question so easily and honestly and in a way that she was able to understand. Her next question was, “Are you ready to go pick some cherry tomatoes?” They had a wonderful relationship. And Don was never unwilling to party. One favorite moment was when Mary and another neighbor were sharing a drink with us on our porch and we wanted to take the “party” to Don. So we went across the street, but little did we know that the other
neighbor’s dog would come with us into Don and Mary’s house. Don’s dog, Lorenzo, was thrilled, the other dog was thrilled, and the chase was on. The look of “what the heck is happening” on Don’s face was priceless. But, Don being Don, took it all in with a smile.
We miss him very much.
Don Weller was an amazing man. Watching his growth over all of the years of his life ( Parents have been friends since college), obstacles were challenges to be overcome and did not seem to cause a detour to his goals. I learned more from him than any other patient I have cared for. Ellie, Scott and I were lucky to have had him in our life.
Don and I were very close. He taught me so many things that I will remember for the rest of my life. He was always there for me when I needed someone to talk to. He was also someone I ran to when I got myself into some kind of trouble because I knew he wouldn’t yell at me. I went to him because he wouldn’t punish me or tell me how stupid I was. He would just sit with me talk about it and move on from it. He was always the easiest person to talk to. I struggled mentally with so much and he knew that. He was always there to help me talk things out and he would usually be the one to tell me how dramatic or unrealistic I was being about things, but I needed that. Our conversations weren’t always perfect, there was definitely some arguing that went on at dinner time when we both wanted to be right about something. He was such a know-it-all, but he knew that. It made for great arguments and both of us loved to argue. Anyway, he always boosted my mentality. We shared similar issues with anxiety so he never made it feel like I was going through anything alone. I spent every weekend with Don and my Grandma Mary and every weekend I went home with a little more confidence in myself, or a little more motivation, or a little more something. He played a big part in helping me find a better headspace and now that he’s gone I struggle at times trying to find that place. I miss being able to talk to him about all my life goals and all the terrible things in the world. Don cannot be replaced but I know he’s watching over all of us and smiling.
I have beautiful memories of the times we shared together. These memories will last a lifetime…from junior high school as my student, to my tutee with high school math. Who could forget the many times I would stay with you and Debbie as I was the caretaker of the family while your parents traveled. The fun times we had, going to endless hockey games at all hours of the day….then of course the airing out of the hockey equipment and washing of the uniform.
You have always amazed me by your strength and courage and endless smile and upbeat attitude. You were a role model for us all…to have faith and know that you will get through the darkest days. The many days that I saw you at the Rehabilitation Institute, even on the toughest of days, we could find something to smile and laugh about. I have always been so proud of all you accomplished in your lifetime. In the later years, due to distance and work, we spoke only on the phone, but is was still like you were in the same room with me having conversation about our individual life, our goals and expectations. We would still gossip, laugh and talk knowing that our love for each other had not changed. You are missed my friend by your wife, family, friends and especially me.
Don, first things that come to mind. Soft spoken, caring, sharing and easy going. I always enjoyed a few ski runs and a few cold beverages at Big Powderhorn Mountain in Upper Michigan. May your warm smile glow forever…
A gentle and courageous soul who always wore a smile and had a warm and pleasant greeting for everyone. Don had the unique ability to put his visitors at ease and engage in conversation as if they were standing on a street corner having a chat. He always remembered and asked about his visitor’s family, how they were doing and wishing them well…another example of his selfless attitude that made him one of a kind.
I so appreciated the opportunity to get to know and work with both Don and Mary back in Bloomington, Indiana, and feel a special connection to also have Hobart & William Smith and Geneva, NY in common, too. My very best to Mary and all of your and Don’s families.
We met Don when he was matched with CCI dog Expo. We were Expo’s puppy raisers. Expo was our first CCI dog to raise. It was wonderful meeting such a great young man that had his whole life ahead of him. We are grateful that Expo helped him achieve those goals.
Prayers to his wife Mary, Don’s parents – Russell & Dianne and his sister Debbie.
Puppy kisses and Hugs
from the Tucker Family
Marcia and Roger Tucker
Columbus, Ohio
Don will be missed by loved ones who loved him and cared about him and Luna. He was my best friend in the entire world. I’m going to miss him very much and his service dog Luna. Rest in peace. God rest his soul. Dr Don Weller will be remembered as a leader in Bloomington. He also helped people with Prader Willi syndrome and ADHD. Don will look down on us every day.
Hey everyone.its nathan.dons friend.and partner.don Weller taught me how to meet new people
And he let me walked his dog Luna and Lorenzo
They were good service dogs.may Don Weller and his service dogs.rest in peace.nathan priest.
Don and I were “thrown together” in a Father & Son golf tournament at Sunset Ridge Country Club in 1981 (and we ended up playing with our Dads in several together because we got along so well and had such a good time). I’ve uploaded photos from a few we played in.
Though I had grown up around golf I’d never played in a tournament and my Dad said “Hey – – let’s play with the Weller’s in the upcoming Father & Son”. Admittedly I was a bit nervous at the start because “Don plays a lot” – – but it didn’t matter. We were fast friends, comparing notes on our Dads, and our own golf skills – – we both knew that it wasn’t our score in the tournament but rather the time spent with our Dad’s that was the real and lasting trophy. To me, that was the truest sense of Don’s character – – approaching life from the human perspective. Looking back it only makes sense to see the path he took was to help others. He was kind, soft-spoken, liked poke fun and have a laugh – – but I always knew he had a big heart and his warmth made him a pleasure to be with whenever we got together.
Being in sales for nearly 30 years, I’ve met my share of people from all walks of life – – very, very few can measure up to the caliber of Don Weller. He was just a great individual and I’m glad to have called him my friend.
All my best to the Weller family.
Although we did not personally know Don well, we know his parents & sister Debbie, who are not only wonderful, giving people, but true role models exemplified in the kind of person Don was. His perseverance, courage & strength & his caring for others was an inspiration for so many. A life well lived, ended all too soon with a “never give up…keep smiling” philosophy, while leaving memories of strength & love.
I worked with Russ at Weller & Associates in Chicago from 1988-1991 back in the good ‘ole days of advertising. Russ was an excellent employer and mentor to me over the years. Along with the other great Weller & Associate team members, I also got to know Dianne, Don, and Debbie quite well. We were all one big family. So, when Don had his bike accident in 1989, it affected us all in a very profound way. We were there to support Russ and his family as much as we could in the early days after the accident and during Don’s long rehabilitation. I distinctly remember being amazed at how strong and courageous Russ, Dianne, and Debbie were when coping with the traumatic, life-changing injury to their beloved Don. The anguish and devastation could have left a deep scar across their hearts and Dons, but it did not. They all faced the crisis head-on, with strength, determination, compassion, and a fierce sense of hope that they would overcome it together as a family. And they did, as evidenced by the exemplary life Don went on to live. They were and still are an inspiration to me. As the years went by, we all moved on to new life chapters, but it was always a joy to reconnect with the Weller family. I enjoyed the updates on Don, Mary, and his studies at Syracuse and Indiana. I wasn’t surprised to hear about the meaningful work he did to help others discover their best selves throughout the various stages of his life work—what a remarkable man he was. I look forward to celebrating the extraordinary life he lived on February 27. Russ, Dianne, and Debbie, I send my love and sympathy. “What we once have enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes part of us. – Helen Keller
I remember Don at Salisbury School as being a kind and gentle young man who held himself to the highest standards of conduct and devotion to duty. As one of his teachers, I found Don to be quiet yet thoughtful, and always willing to offer help when he saw a need. I am honored to have been invited to participate in this commemoration of his life.
My cousin Don was one of the kindest individuals you could ever meet. I knew him best when he was young. Always smiling and self confident. Our busy lives kept us apart far too much, but I will always cherish the times we spent together. I remember after Don’s accident, I asked my Mom (Don’s Aunt) why the Good Lord would allow something like that happen to such a good person. She told me that there was always a plan and Don fulfilled that plan and brought so much more to the world. His life was inspiring for so many. I will always miss him.
We are Robert and Jeannette Dunkel from the Geneva NY area where Don went to college and both Don and Mary lived before moving to Indiana. Our brother in law called Wheat worked at Hobart and William Smith Colleges and knew Don before his accident and helped take care of him with his wife Nancy but they moved to Colorado and so we would help him in any way we could and this was before his meeting Mary. WE have 5 children who all knew and remember Don and Mary well and all of us were saddened to learn of his passing and our hearts go out to all his family and friends. I did get to go along with Nancy to visit Don and Mary in Indiana one time and as I am a garlic grower also helped Don with his garden and got him into garlic which he loved and continued to grow. We are older and will try to see if we can participate in the memorial but either way it was an honor knowing these loving folks 🙂
Don’s sister, Deb, and I grew up together, great friends and neighbors, and shared a lot of adventures. I will always think of him as Deb’s handsome, athletic, and tolerant older brother who was nice to us and didn’t mind us following him around, especially during trips to Powderhorn Mountain, or at one of our soccer camps. I’ve witnessed Deb and Don’s relationship from more of a distance since our teens, but what I really appreciate is how protective they both were of each other.
I have enjoyed reading others’ memories of Don, and I’m not surprised to see what an inspiration Don has been to so many in his too few years.
I am so sorry Wellers and Mary, for your loss, and I hope today’s memorial brings support and love to your broken hearts. Sending big hugs.
Our families became good friends from many years spent together skiing and apre skiing at Big Powderhorn in the UP of Michigan. Me, my sisters and our friends were always on the look out for that good looking guy Don Weller!
But Don was so much more than his good looks. He was one of the kindest, genuine, big hearted, intelligent people I ever knew. He was truly wonderful person who made my life better for having known him. Though his accident changed the trajectory of his life’s journey, he accepted it with grace and dignity.
He became a mentor and role model for so many, helping countless lives, which is the greatest gift one person can give to another. We are all blessed for having known Don, Mary, Russ, Dianne and Debbie. I look forward to honoring and celebrating his life today and always…
Even though we did not know Don Weller, we knew of his accomplishments in spite of tremendous handicaps. He must have been a very brave and determined person to have led such a good productive life, while dealing with major handicaps.
We also lost one of our children when our daughter died in 2003 at the age of 44 – so we know what Russ, Dianne and family are going thorough. You have our deepest sympathy.
Love, Diane and Frank
Such a wonderful tribute to Don–Well Done! It was a joy to getting to see photos and hear stories of Don’s amazing Life Journey I felt a kinship with Don even though we only met a few times. He was a great CBD Salesperson. I miss hearing updates from Mary about Don. He was a kind, generous and soulful human being.
What an amazing tribute to an amazing man. Thank you Dianne and Russ for sharing.
Speakers brought tears to my eyes with every phase of his life.
We always knew from our many conversations with you through the years but until today his whole life was illuminated. We could have listened even longer.
And of course you know our Indiana connection.
Fondly
Don and Pat