Peter "Pete" Thomas Weir

Peter Thomas Weir — beloved son, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin, uncle and, most importantly to Pete, father — left this world on September 26, 2025 at the age of 38.

Pete was charismatic, clever, handsome and hilarious. From a young age, he made friends easily and often. He was gifted both athletically and artistically, picking up new skills — from skating to football, and from painting to making beats on his keyboard — with ease and enthusiasm. He excelled at basketball both on the court and in the pool, where he, our brother Matt and our visiting Rossini cousins played legendary games under the Phoenix sun as alter egos in the PBA, or Pool Basketball Association. (Pete was “The Javelina.”) He had a theatrical streak, entertaining family and friends with uncanny impressions and invented characters, and was an engaging conversationalist on topics from history to current events.

Pete loved animals, and was endlessly tickled by cute videos of them online. Our furry family members were among his most cherished companions, and he had special nicknames and voices for each of them. He even created an adorable anthropomorphized persona for our dog Bernice. He slept so much better with a furry friend in his arms, whether sweet Bernice or our cats Lenny and Dot. While away from home, he’d share how much he missed them and express his eagerness to see them again. Lenny’s passing was especially difficult for Pete, and he carried a picture of Len with him in his wallet.

Pete was enamored with the Southwest and had a strong sense of Arizona pride. He enjoyed learning about everything from its “sky islands” — isolated mountain ranges with unique, high-elevation ecosystems — to its Indigenous roots. Pete shared that love and knowledge with out-of-town friends and family, and was a captivating tour guide. He also shared it with his son Lincoln, taking him on numerous outdoor adventures around the state, during which they collected rocks and other tokens. Whether lovingly tending to the trees at Weir headquarters in Phoenix or fashioning found wood into walking sticks in Flagstaff, Pete seemed to find a special serenity outdoors. It was his favorite subject to paint, and he painted it beautifully.

Pete was proud of his heritage and enjoyed our family traditions, like raking leaves at Grammy J’s  densely-forested home in Richmond, VA each fall as a kid or joining the production line when it was our family’s turn to make the Rossinis’ signature Christmas Eve dish — ravioli. He cherished his large extended family, and looked forward to spending time with everyone during annual trips to “The Lake” with the Rossinis and “The Beach” with the Weirs. In recent years he’d found a deepened connection to the Catholic tradition and was rarely without a medal bearing the portraits of Patrick and Brigid, patron saints of Ireland, around his neck.

Pete achieved an associate’s in business and was not far from obtaining his bachelor’s. Before returning to Arizona this March, he spent more than a year as a tech at St. Christopher’s Addiction Wellness Center in Baton Rouge, LA. He had graduated from the center’s year-long treatment program himself, and now mentored other men as they moved through the steps. He was a natural — well respected and, unsurprisingly, well liked. 

Of everything he accomplished, Pete was most proud of his “Big Guy” — his son Lincoln. He loved Linc with every fiber of his being, beaming with each of Linc’s achievements, looking forward to every visit, and creating albums of their treasured time together on Facebook. He put a lot of thought into special gifts for Linc and couldn’t wait to give them. He parented with care, compassion and a boundless abundance of love.

Pete will be remembered for his big, beautiful smile, wonderful sense of humor, and warm, tender heart. He is welcomed into the spiritual sky islands by his grandparents — Reno and Rosemary Rossini, and Tom and Joan Weir — his uncles Ray, Tony and BD, his little cousin Joey, and his fur family Bernice and Lenny. He is survived by his parents Tom and Jeanne, his siblings Christine Rose and Matthew, his son Lincoln and his niece Celana, as well as many aunts, uncles and cousins who love him deeply. He will live in our hearts always.