Cowboys Chaplain Passes Away

[kepdawg]

Link (http://cowboys.beloblog.com/)

Sad news to report

Long-time Cowboys team chaplain John Weber has passed away tonight after a heart attack following a workout at a local YMCA.

Weber had been with the Cowboys for more than 20 years, holding chapel services before home and away games. During games he would also help the video crew by delivering pictures to coaches on the sidelines between series.

"He was one of the best men I have ever been around," tight end Jason Witten said. "He was a spiritual leader for our team and will be truly missed."

Weber was always quick to ask how you were doing and was genuinely interested in what you had to say. He was a father-figure of sorts to a lot of players on the current team and on past teams.

Posted by Todd Archer at 9:37 PM (E-mail this entry) Permalink | Comments (0)

Team chaplain passes away

John Weber, the Cowboys team chaplain, died of a heart attack today while working out at a local YMCA.

Weber was a mainstay at Valley Ranch conducting services with players, coaches and support staff. He also traveled with the team and held chapel services on Saturday night or Sunday mornings.

I remember having brief conversations with him from time-to-time, including in Minnesota when we talked about journalism.

He was a good man and I enjoyed our talks.

"This is a very sad day for the Dallas Cowboys organization and also to the hundreds of lives that have been positively influenced by John's warmth, his wisdom and his ministry," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, and also to all who knew him and loved him. He was a very giving man, and he will be deeply missed."

Posted by Calvin Watkins at 9:34 PM (E-mail this entry) Permalink | Comments (0)

[kepdawg]

Link (http://www.dallascowboys.com/news.cfm?id=FDD79E03-FA37-DDE3-40F0ED075BC45326)

IRVING, Texas - The Dallas Cowboys will travel to Philadelphia this weekend for Sunday night's game against the Eagles with heavy hearts, knowing one person who has been a mainstay on their charter flights over the past three decades will be missing.

John Weber, Cowboys longtime team chaplain, died of a heart attack Thursday while working out swimming at a local YMCA. Weber would travel with the team to all the away games, not only holding chapels for the players either on Saturday night or Sunday mornings, but serving as personal confidant to many of the guys - even after their playing days.

Weber also served in a similar capacity through the 2000 season for the Texas Rangers. He has been known to conduct memorials for those close to the Cowboys who died, most recently Wilford "Crazy Ray" Jones this past spring at Texas Stadium. He also organized the memorial in 2002 for John Chang, head of the Cowboys TV department who died of a brain hemorrhage.

"This is a very sad day for the Dallas Cowboys organization and also to the hundreds of lives that have been positively influenced by John's warmth, his wisdom and his ministry," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, and also to all who knew him and loved him. He was a very giving man, and he will be deeply missed."

Weber was active in many ministries, and was a staff member, along with his wife Carole, of Athletes In Action. The two were involved in this sports-related religious ministry for some 30 years. Included in his staff bio for AIA was this quote which sums up Weber's devotion to helping athletes: "I've thoroughly enjoyed the relationships with the men and encouraging, assisting and helping both current and retired athletes."

Weber, born on a farm in South Dakota, was active in wrestling and football through his college days at Dakota Wesleyan University. He would go on to become a graduate assistant for the wrestling team at Florida State University, where he also taught in the physical education department.

His studies then led him to Dallas, where in 1980 he graduated from the Dallas Seminary and soon thereafter began working with the Dallas Cowboys when Tom Landry still was the head coach.

John and Carole Weber had five children - four daughters (Sarah, Hannah, Elizabeth and Rebekah) and one son, Tim.