The Lord called a good lady home when He brought Vicki Ann Weaver to be with Him on August 13, 2025. We think it was way too early — though if you’d asked her, she might have disagreed. Vicki didn’t want to grow old; she wanted to be forever young.

Her story began 70 years ago (but don’t tell anyone — she’d prefer you keep believing she was 39). On a record-hot July Sunday in 1955, at the height of the baby boom and the year Disneyland opened, Pat and Bill Payne of Anacostia welcomed their daughter into the world in Washington, D.C. She arrived determined to be unapologetically herself, a trait she never outgrew. She was blessed to spend much of her childhood with her beloved Nanny, Mary, who adored her right back.

She met the love of her life, Jim Weaver, at Suitland High School. She started dating him, she claimed, mainly because she wanted to drive his GTO. Four months later, she blew up the GTO’s engine… and in the Montgomery Ward parking lot, Jim asked her to marry him. Vicki said yes — clearly appreciating a man who could take a joke and a car repair bill.

They were married 50 years, 3 months, and 10 days ago at the Officers’ Club at Andrews AFB. Their life together was filled with fast cars, fast boats, fishing adventures, and — most of all — hard work. In the early years, they juggled multiple jobs: running a gas station, managing a fabric store, cleaning carpets, building homes and grocery stores, and driving dump trucks.

In 1982, they welcomed their first daughter, Michelle Lynn, a spirited little girl who gave them a run for their money. Deciding she needed a partner in crime, they welcomed Ashley Nicole a few years later. Vicki became the ultimate mom: part dance mom, part party planner, part gourmet cook, and full-time fierce protector. She wasn’t a regular mom — she was a cool mom.

Vicki’s love for boating and fishing was unmatched. Whether she was fighting a 500-pound blue marlin herself or coaching someone else through their first billfish, she was happiest in the cockpit. That passion became a legacy when she and Jim founded Weaver Boat Works, carrying on the tradition of two generations of boat builders before them.

Vicki was the definition of selfless. She found joy in giving — gifts, time, encouragement — to anyone and everyone. She loved Christmas, not for the presents, but for the togetherness. Every December, BGE likely groaned in anticipation as she plugged in enough Christmas lights, decorations, villages, and seven full-sized trees to make her home the most magical (and probably most power-consuming) place on the block.

Vicki’s family grew when Ashley met Ray, and suddenly Jim had a new best friend. Ashley married Ray in a Key West wedding on a summer Sunday in September — because if you’re going to add a son-in-law, you might as well do it somewhere tropical. Their family didn’t just grow by one — it grew by four, because Haley, Courtney, and Ray Jr. were instantly “ours” from that day forward.

That’s when Vicki graduated from “Mom” to G-ma… and quickly to GiGi when Ashley and Ray welcomed Lucas James into the world. GiGi wasted no time in perfecting the art of spoiling — if it lit up, made noise, or required batteries, Lucas probably had it.

Three years later came Emersyn Monroe, a tiny carbon copy of Ashley, and GiGi took her spoiling talents to new heights. Her motto quickly became: If it has ruffles, bows, or comes in pink, buy it in every size. Lilly Pulitzer and Janie & Jack should honestly send her a plaque.

Most recently, Vicki’s heart — and Christmas shopping list — grew again with the addition of Haley’s husband, Nick, and their son, Nico, as well as Ray’s wife, Shelbie, and their son, Tripp. And she was counting down the days to the wedding of her granddaughter Courtney to Joey — partly for the celebration, partly for the excuse to buy another dress.

Vicki leaves behind her husband and partner-in-adventure Jim Weaver, her daughters Michelle Weaver  and Ashley Hangliter (Ray), her many beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and a large, loving extended friends turned family who will carry on her stories, recipes, and fierce love for Christmas decorations. She was preceded in death by her parents Pat and Bill Payne, and her cherished Nanny, Mary.

Her family and friends will remember her as the life of the party, the woman who never met a stranger, the hostess who made sure you ate well, and the fierce, funny, forever-young spirit who made life brighter for everyone she loved.

And if you ever catch a blue marlin, pour a drink and toast Vicki — she’ll be cheering you on from the best seat in the house.