Prince William County Supervisor Bob Weir died unexpectedly Sunday, July 20. He was 62.

News of Weir’s death left his fellow board members shaken Sunday evening.

Board Chair Deshundra Jefferson said that although Weir could sometimes be blunt on the dias, he was respected for his love of the county and his deep knowledge of local issues.

“We loved Bob,” Jefferson said. “He was a character, but underneath that exterior, he loved the community. He loved his role as the Gainesville supervisor.”

Weir’s family has not yet shared his cause of death. A statement with more details is forthcoming, according to Weir’s chief of staff, Rebecca Bare.

Weir, of Haymarket, was a longtime resident of western Prince William County and spent years advocating for the county’s former rural crescent and against rampant data center development.

A Republican, Weir was first elected to the board of supervisors in a special election in February 2023 held after former Gainesville supervisor Peter Candland resigned after agreeing to sell his home and land for the Prince William Digital Gateway. 

Weir, a vocal opponent of the Digital Gateway,  then ran unopposed in November 2023 for his first full term. Weir served about two and a half years on the county board before his death.

Prior to being elected to the county board, Weir had been in public service for more than two decades and served multiple terms on the Haymarket Town Council, the Haymarket Planning Commission and multiple advisory boards and community organizations, according to his county web page.

Weir spent most of his life in Virginia and was a graduate the University of Virginia. He and his wife, Diane, raised their three adult children, Samantha, Michael and Megan, in the Gainesville District. 

This is a breaking news story. It will be updated.