David Weaver Obituary, Death – As of not too long ago, we were made aware of the passing of one of the important founding members of BCVA, and the news has left us with a profound feeling of loss. Professor A. David Weaver, who holds the credentials of BSc, DrMedVet, PhD, and Dr. (h.c.) FRCVS, was born in the year 1930 in Beverley, which is located in East Yorkshire. His complete list of academic credentials includes a BSc, a DrMedVet degree, a PhD, and an FRCVS degree. After serving his mandatory time in the Royal Navy, he went on to earn his degree in veterinary medicine at the Dick Vet School in Edinburgh, from which he graduated in the year 1955. After that, he was successful in getting his first job as an assistant in York.
His master’s thesis was on general anesthesia administered to cattle with the drug Thiogenal (Merkt, Darmstadt) serving as the induction agent. He was given a scholarship by the British Council to spend a year working as an intern in the cattle clinic while he was studying at the veterinary school in Hannover. During this time, he was responsible for taking care of the animals. After receiving his doctorate, Professor Weaver began his career at the Glasgow Veterinary School as an assistant professor in big animal surgery. He eventually rose through the ranks to become the senior lecturer in large animal surgery.
He also received the Steele-Bodger travel scholarship while he was there, which gave him the opportunity to visit a number of veterinary colleges in Europe that concentrated on cattle digital infections. He earned his doctorate while he was there, and he received a scholarship while he was there. On April 7, 1967, the first meeting of the British Columbia Veterans’ Association took place on the grounds of the RVC in Potters Bar. Charles Grunsell, who is affiliated with the University of Bristol, acted as the chairperson of the conference. David was there at the meeting along with his other coworkers. Following that, David went on to have a substantial impact on the construction of the foundations for the BCVA as well as the implementation of an ambitious education program for cattle vets. He also went on to serve as the president of the BCVA.
Professor Weaver was responsible for a large number of publications, the majority of which were written in conjunction with other eminent academics such as Paul Greenough and Roger Blowey, with whom he co-wrote three editions of the ground-breaking and one-of-a-kind Color Atlas of Diseases and Disorders of Cattle. These publications include a wide range of topics, including cattle diseases and disorders, as well as other livestock diseases and disorders. This atlas is an established and well-respected illustrated guide to the variety of conditions that can be found in cattle all over the world. It covers the conditions in a geographically organized format. In addition to that, he was a contributor to the Veterinary Record and served on the publication’s editorial board.
In recognition of Professor Weaver’s ongoing support for the British Columbia Veterinary Association (BCVA), that organization bestowed upon him an Honorary Life Membership in October of 2019. This was completed in the year 2020. We would like to extend our deepest condolences to his family, as well as to anyone who had the privilege of working with David or getting to know him over the course of his life. In addition, we would like to extend our condolences to anyone else who knew David or worked with him.