Fay Weatherly

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Fay Weatherly, 79, Bismarck, passed away on Oct. 31, 2020. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9 at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Pkwy, Bismarck.

Fay Claire Weatherly was born on March 7, 1941 in Jamestown, ND to Hazel (Hall) and Earl Weatherly. Fay, known as “F,” was raised on the family farm near Eldridge, ND with his brothers Neil (Tex), Merle (Mert) and Don. Along with farming, he had a love of sports, especially playing baseball.

After Fay graduated from Jamestown High School in 1959, he played on the Jamestown city baseball league. He excelled at baseball to the point that his teammates would often comment that he could have gone professional. However, at age 22, the very sport he loved most, left him with a head injury and changed the course of his life forever. At that time, Fay was married and had a young son named Robby.

Fay’s recovery from the head injury was a long and arduous process. At the time of his injury, he went to Fargo where he was in a coma for 6 weeks. After coming out of the coma, his injury left him severely disabled requiring extensive rehabilitation, this time in Grand Forks. While in Grand Forks, he had to relearn all the basic skills of daily living. Sadly, the magnitude of his injury was too much for his young wife to bear. As a result, she took their son and sought a life apart from Fay.  

When Fay’s rehabilitation had gone as far as it could go in Grand Forks, he transitioned back to his family farm where is mother, Hazel, played an intricate role in his care with the support of his family. Being a strong farm boy, he found new ways to be independent with his disability. At this time, he had learned to get around on crutches and even learned to drive the tractor again.

With this newfound independence, Fay married again and had a daughter named Angela. Because of his disability, he had to change his livelihood. Therefore, he moved to Devil’s Lake to attend Lake Region Community College where he studied Accounting. After Fay completed his program, he moved back to Jamestown but it was not without difficulties. After some time, he moved into a brain injury transitional living center in Mandan on his own. However, Fay knew that this was not a long-term solution.

Feeling the need for greater independence, Fay moved into his own apartment across from Kirkwood Mall, which also meant he needed a job. He drafted a resume with thoughts and ideas that he had gathered on disabilities and went to the CEO of MedCenter One to pitch his thoughts and ideas to enhance their rehab department. The CEO was so impressed with what he heard and saw that he hired Fay on the spot. He became a Peer Counselor to visit with newly disabled individuals and worked for MedCenter One for 15 years.

While living in Bismarck, Fay became involved in many organizations as an advocate for individuals with disabilities. One of his many accomplishments early on was working with a legislator to write a bill for curb cuts for the state of North Dakota. He has also received many awards and certificates on behalf of his work for individuals with disabilities.

In 1992, Fay met his current wife, Corrine. They married on July 14, 2001 in Medora. She is the mother of two grown daughters, Marti in California and Heidi in Colorado. Corrine worked at Herberger’s and her job transferred her to the Twin Cities where they moved together to White Bear Lake, MN. They lived there for 13 years.

While Fay was in MN, he became involved as a volunteer at Bethesda Hospital, a peer mentor at Metropolitan Center for Independent Living and involved in the White Bear Lake Senior Center. With these involvements, he continued to earn awards and recognition for his advocacy for individuals with disabilities. He enjoyed going to the Dome for the Twins games, Mall of America, spending time up in Duluth and Lake Superior area and traveling around enjoying the beauty of the state.

In 2012, Fay’s deteriorating health brought Fay and Corrine back to Bismarck to be closer to their families. By January 2013, he entered long-term care at Missouri Slope Care Center where he made many friends and was a beloved member of their community. Fay resided there until his death.

Fay believed God had a purpose for his life in a wheelchair. With his winning smile, sense of humor, kind heart and passionate advocacy, he touched and changed many lives. This was a life well lived!

Fay is survived by his wife Corrine, brothers Neil (Tex) and Donna Weatherly, Merle (Mert) Weatherly and Peggy Beckman, daughter Angela (Ryan) Lehr, and step-daughters Marti Kelly and Heidi Skogman.

Fay is preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Hazel Weatherly, son Rob Nelson, and brother Donald Weatherly.