Joe Weatherly
Forest Lawn Cemetery
Location:
(1922-1964)
Joe Weatherly was born in Norfolk in 1922. He left home at 21 to join a corps of combat engineers in Europe during World War II. Weatherly’s racing career began in the late 1940s with motorcycle championships. He began auto racing in 1947 and was a top ranking driver in the NASCAR national circuit. He won his first championship in 1962. Weatherly was famous for his vehicles always bearing the number eight. Weatherly was killed in an accident during a race at the Riverside Raceway in California. He was notorious for not wearing his safety harness and he had previous accidents.
References:
Frank M. Blunk, “Racing Loses a Colorful Driver In the Death of Joe Weatherly,” New York Times, January 22, 1964. See also, Washington Post, “Joe Weatherly Killed In California Race: Weatherly Dies In Crash,”
Washington Post, January 20, 1964. Photo from NASCAR.com, available from http://www.nascar.com/news/features/jweatherly.hof.bio/index.html (accessed on July 3, 2012)..
Biographical information provided by Norfolk Bureau of Cemeteries.
Visitor Information
Visitor Hours: Sunrise to Sunset
Office hours: Monday to Sunday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Free parking inside cemetery.
Admission Cost: Free
Address: 8100 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23505
Official web site for more information: www.norfolk.gov/cemeteries
Norfolk Society for Cemetery Conservation Web Site: www.norfolksocietyforcemeteryconservation.org