Obituary

Depending on when and where you met her, you might know Sally Weaver as a lawyer, an educator, a traveler, or an advocate. But no matter the circumstances, you will never forget the profound difference she made in your life.

Sally Ann Ranck Weaver died on May 15, 2024 at her daughter’s home in Durham, N.C. of metastatic breast cancer.  She is survived by her beloved family, friends, her pups and her community. A celebration of life will be scheduled for this fall in Missoula, Mont.

Sally was whip-smart and had a firm grasp on a dictionary of curse words.  A straight A student who loved to read, Sally graduated from Emory & Henry College in Virginia in 1969, worked as a high school English teacher, and then in the Office of Financial Aid at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.  As a 33-year-old single mother, she entered Vanderbilt Law School, earning her degree in 1981. After graduation she worked for the Atlanta law firm, Powell, Goldstein, Frazier and Murphy until 1993, focusing on mergers and acquisitions.  She worked tirelessly for her clients while mentoring and advocating for women attorneys and younger associates. On the strength of this work, she returned to the firm as Chief Professional Development Officer from 2001 to 2003.

The next stage of her professional life included two stints as a law professor at the University of Montana (1995-2000 and 2007-2011), and three years at the University of Georgia (2011-2013). She excelled as a professor despite being diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer in 1997. Her students wouldn’t call her the easiest professor they ever had, but many remember her as the best. In true Socratic fashion, her classes featured thoughtful discussion and lively banter. She suffered no fools but ran her classes with care and respect, keeping a close eye on students who struggled.

In 2014, Sally became the Director of Academic Success, and then Associate Dean of Students, at the University of Montana School of Law, enabling her to focus exclusively on her passion for advancing the well-being of students, especially those whose life experiences made law school more challenging.

Born in Athens, Tenn., on Aug. 7, 1947, Sally was the 2nd of three children born to Ed and Sara Ranck. Several early losses marked Sally’s life. She was 12 when her mother died, and her father died eight years later. Prior to her death, Sara Ranck asked family friends, Gertie and Bill Hairrell, to serve as guardians for her daughters. The Hairrells died in a car accident when Sally was in law school.

Enduring these losses forged Sally’s deep empathy and her determination to stand up for others. In addition to her professional work as an attorney and educator, she served in voter protection programs in New Mexico and North Carolina and volunteered with Planned Parenthood, the YWCA, and the Humane Society of Western Montana. She also served as CEO of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation from 2003-2005. In her later years in Missoula, she worked closely with the Afghan refugee community. 

Outside her professional and personal passions, Sally was an avid traveler, spending time in Europe, Mexico, South America, Asia and throughout the US. Prior to the end of one trip, she was planning the next.  Yet no place captivated her more than Montana. Sally adored the landscape’s natural beauty and the stories of outdoor adventure. She didn’t hike, ski, or fish, but nonetheless absorbed the Missoula passion for the outdoors through proximity and passed to her grandchildren her deep love of the American West and its scenic parks, ski slopes and creeks full of trout. At heart, though, she was a true homebody, happiest in her cozy bedroom, spending lazy Sunday mornings in bed with a cup of tea and the New York Times.  

 In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Soft Landing Missoula, 939 Stephens Avenue, Suite C, Missoula, MT 59801, the Missoula Interfaith Collaborative, Inc., 2205 34th Street, Missoula, MT 59801,  YWCA Missoula, 1800 South 3rd Street West,  Missoula, MT 59801, or the Humane Society of Western Montana, PO Box 1059, Missoula, MT 59806.