Damon Weaver, Who Interviewed Obama at Age 11, Has Died

Damon Weaver, a student journalist who earned national fame when he interviewed President Barack Obama when he was 11 years old, died earlier this month, his sister, Catherine Hardy, confirmed Thursday. Weaver died of natural causes at age 23 on May 1, Hardy told the Palm Beach Post. When Weaver interviewed Obama, he was the youngest person in history to interview a sitting president.

“He was loved by everyone,” Hardy told the Palm Beach Post. “No matter if it was a stranger, his mom, or a family member, he was just a ball of light with so much energy. He was always positive, always had a smile on ha face and he was always a joy to be around. He left an impact on a lot of people.”

No further details of his death were revealed. His funeral service was scheduled for Saturday, and the public viewing was on Friday, Brown & Bussey’s Funeral Services LLC said in a statement. “We ask that you please keep Mr. Weaver’s entire family in your prayers,” the funeral home added. The service was not open to the public due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Weaver interviewed Obama for about 10 minutes in the White House Diplomatic Room on Aug. 13, 2009. The interview focused on education and school topics, like bullying, school lunch costs, and conflict resolution. in the end, Weaver invited Obama to his school and asked he would be his “homeboy.” Weaver said then-Vice President Joe Biden already accepted the offer. “Absolutely,” Obama said as he shook Weaver’s hand.

Hardy called the interview a “once-in-a-lifetime experience” for her brother, noting that it changed his life. It put a national spotlight on him and led to interviews with NBA star Dwyane Wade and Oprah Winfrey. Weaver also interviewed CNN‘s Wolf Blitzer, whom he considered a role model. “It was very fun,” Weaver told TIME in 2009 after he met and interviewed Blitzer. “He was nice. He was asking me questions like, ‘What was it like with the President? How could I get in touch with him? And can you put in a good word for me?’”

Weaver graduated from Royal Palm High School and earned a scholarship to Albany State University in Georgia. He hoped to return in the fall to finish his degree in communications. His dream was to cover the NFL, Hardy said. Weaver loved meeting new people, which was his favorite part of the journalism field, Hardy said. “He was just a nice person, genuine, very intelligent,” she told the Post. “Very outspoken, outgoing. He never said no to anybody. He was very helpful.”