James Hough Weston, MD., died on Friday July 7 at his home in Gilbert SC. He was born January 27, 1932, son of George Bulkeley Weston and Gladys Ann Hough Weston.
Dr. Weston spent most of his childhood in Mobile, Alabama. He was a graduate of The Citadel, Class of 1952, where he was granted the designation of Distinguished Military Graduate, and received a Regular Army Commission as Second Lieutenant, Infantry. He was a dedicated Citadel alumnus and fan for the rest of his life. He served as President of the Association of Citadel Men (now known as The Citadel Alumni Association) as well as President of The Greater Columbia Citadel Club. He was a member of the founding Board of The Citadel Development Foundation. He and his family established the George Bulkeley Weston Memorial Trust in honor of his father, and Dr. Weston was a proud member of The Society of 1842.
He was a graduate of the University of Alabama Medical College, and later served three years in the U.S. Army. He did residency training in general surgery and obstetrics and gynecology, and was in private practice in Columbia for twenty-five years. During this time he served as Chief of the OB/GYN Department at the Providence Hospital, Director of the Richland County Gregg Street Clinic, OB/GYN Consultant to the Department of Mental Health Byrnes Center, Medical Director of Serologicals, Inc., and for more than 50 years was Medical Consultant to the Disability Determination Division of the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. Dr. Weston loved the outdoors. He was a former member of The Columbia Sailing Club, where he was Captain of the Scow Fleet, and was Regatta Chairman of the first annual Easter regatta, now a 50+ year tradition. He actively competed in the South Atlantic Yacht Racing Association regattas throughout the southeast for over ten years in his 28-foot e-scow, winning numerous trophies. He spent many joyful years hunting, fishing and offshore sailing with lifelong friends. Later in life he also had great pleasure traveling and exploring.
Dr. Weston was an inveterate scholar, which he enjoyed even more after his retirement. He enrolled in flight school and achieved his pilot’s license at age 61. He attended classes at John Hopkins University, Northwestern University, The University of Florida, Midlands Technical College, and the Episcopal School for Ministry. More recently, he was associated with the graduate program at the USC School of Music, where he was a regular member of the Graduate Vocal Ensemble for eleven years, and was a charter member of the Men’s Chorus. He was also a former member of the Columbia Choral Society, and performed multiple times with the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra. He was a Perpetual Member of The Military Order of the World Wars, and was the Commander of the Columbia Chapter. He was a former member of the Executives Club, the Charleston Hibernian Society, and numerous other civic, social and professional organizations. He was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Congaree, a church that his family helped found in 1858, where he was a member of the Vestry and a choir singer, as well as Licensed Worship Leader and Chalice Bearer. He was also a Lay Eucharistic Minister at the Chapel of the Holy Spirit at Still Hopes Retirement Center.
He is predeceased by his wife Dorla ‘Dodie’ Kirkland Weston who he shared a 63 year marriage with.
He is survived by his son George Bulkeley “Buck” Weston and his wife Jill, daughter Amy Adams Weston Yarbrough and her husband Stan, and his grandson Connor James Weston. He is also survived by his brother Jeff Weston of Mobile, Alabama and nieces and nephews, Linda, Laura, Jeff, Ann, and Banks. Memorials may be made to the George B. Weston Scholarship, ? The Citadel Foundation, 171 Moultrie St., Charleston, SC, 29409 or to St. John’s Episcopal Church, 1151 Elm Savannah Rd, Hopkins, SC, 29061
Funeral will be held on Friday, July 14 at 11:00 AM at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 1151 Elm Savannah Rd, Hopkins, SC, 29061.