Toni E. Weaver

Toni E. Weaver (Koon)

Age 83, of Vandalia, passed away peacefully at her home on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, in the presence of family and a compassionate Hospice nurse. Toni will not only be remembered as a fierce advocate for human rights and racial justice, but also as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend.

Toni was born March 11, 1942 in Piqua, OH to the late Tod Browning & Juanita Harris (Koon). In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 24 years, Larry E. Weaver, Sr., who passed in 1988; and by several siblings: Marvin Loudenback, Pamela Rose, Terry Harris, Jerry Harris, Harry Joe Harris, Bob Browning, and Dan Browning, Sr.

Toni is survived by four children: Elaina Lee & her husband, Chung-Suk Charles Lee, Matthew Weaver, Michael Weaver & his wife, Amy Hartig-Weaver, and Larry Weaver, Jr. & his wife, Lisa Weaver; five grandchildren: Anna Dricken, Alexander Lee, Monica Lee, Lauren Lee, and Jacob Weaver; four sisters: Diana Cawley, Sherry Schweitzer, Deb Waters, and Coleen Overbay; and her large extended family and network of friends all over the world.

As the oldest of 12 children, Toni was like a mother to her younger siblings. She overcame much childhood adversity and excelled in school. She graduated from Sidney High School in 1960 and then earned a degree in Accounting from Miami-Jacobs Career College in Dayton while living at the YWCA. Toni married Larry in 1964 and gave birth to their four children in less than 3 years!

Toni’s innate abilities to nurture, organize, and create structure were key to her success in raising the family. Toni was not only very affectionate but also frugal and practical, and she used those qualities to run her household in a way that allowed creation of lasting memories for the family. She and Larry volunteered in the schools and were fervent supporters of their children’s endeavors in academics, sports, and the arts. They also prioritized individual quality time with each child, as well as frequent family outings and yearly vacations to enrich the educational and recreational lives of the family. Toni left lists, schedules, and menus for Larry and the children to follow while she was away on business trips, so her influence was ever-present.

Toni embraced her family and friends with a welcoming spirit that made everyone feel loved. She treated her children’s friends as if they were her own, extending her home and heart to all. Toni adored her grandchildren and cherished "Grandma Time," during which they would play games and do puzzles, draw, read, laugh, talk, and create wonderful memories for all. She was a loyal friend and maintained long-term relationships with her school friends, teachers and mentors, work colleagues, neighbors, and numerous other people who were fortunate enough to find their way into her life.

In the early 1970s, Toni was actively involved in Vandalia's Welcome Wagon and League of Women Voters. She was also instrumental in creating and implementing an ordinance against discrimination in Vandalia. She chaired the city’s first Human Relations Commission and organized a speakers’ bureau to educate residents on discrimination issues. Her race relations expertise grew as she worked with the late Dr. Charles King, Jr., and subsequently the late Dr. C.T. Vivian, both well-known civil rights activists. Together, they conducted seminars for corporations, universities, and government agencies all around the U.S. for several decades. These seminars helped thousands of people to examine their own prejudices, motivating them to be part of the solution toward eradicating racism. She raised her children with the anti-racist principles that she taught in her work.

When her children were in college, Toni went back to school and earned a PhD in Social Psychology at the Union Institute. In the 1990s, she went on to write 2 books to educate the public about racial issues: “White to White on Black/White” and “To Change the Future, Change the Children!” After retiring from her career as a race relations consultant and speaker, she used her valuable interpersonal skills to become a trusted mediator in Small Claims Court for the City Of Vandalia. In late 2024, she retired from that position after 20 years.

Toni had a strong passion for gardening. She found joy in “playing in the dirt,” planting vegetables, herbs, and beautiful flowers that brought life and color to her surroundings. She also enjoyed doing cross-stitch and embroidery. A voracious reader, she read several books each month, and she kept up with current events. With her accounting background, she kept meticulous records, did her own taxes each year, and managed several rental properties. She loved and cared for her beloved dogs, first Missy and then Rosie, as if they were her children.

Toni was a truly remarkable woman in every sense of the word, and her legacy will endure in the hearts and minds of those who had the privilege to know her.

The family will be receiving friends from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m., Sunday, September 14, at Morton & Whetstone Funeral Home, 139 S. Dixie Drive, Vandalia. The memorial service will begin at 4:00 p.m. Those who wish to contribute will be invited to share memories of and stories about Toni. Her cremated remains will be buried next to her husband at Parish Cemetery in Arlington, Ohio.

In lieu of flowers, friends and family are encouraged to make a donation in Toni’s memory to the Southern Poverty Law Center or another non-profit organization that advocates for racial justice and equity.

Please watch Toni's Memorial service recording below: