James Wesley “Jim” WEEKS

1936 - 2013  (77 years)

• Name	James Wesley “Jim” WEEKS  [1, 2]
  Birth	1936	Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina
  Gender	Male
  HIST	James W. Weeks James Wesley Weeks, 77, of Duluth, Ga., passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 18, 2013, after sustaining brain injuries from an accidental fall. Jim was born in Sumter and grew up in Pinewood. He served honorably as a pilot in the U.S. Navy from 1956-1967. His naval career was distinguished by serving two tours of duty with “Operation Deep Freeze” in the Antarctic, supporting the scientific missions there in 1959/60. “Mount Weeks” on the Antarctic continent was named after Lt. Weeks by a New Zealand survey team, whom he transported to the remote location. Later that decade as a P3 Orion pilot, he commanded air support for the sea recovery of NASA’s Gemini 12 piloted by Buzz Aldrin and commanded by James Lovell. In 1967, Jim joined Delta Airlines as a commercial pilot, retiring as a captain in 1996. He was an avid bicyclist and had a successful racing career in the ’80s and ’90s, winning medals in the U.S. Nationals and Golden Olympics, among others. Known by many as “Opa,” he was an active member of his church and community and a generous supporter of arts education in Gwinnett County Schools, and a tireless and devoted volunteer for the Duluth High School Marching Band. He gave generously of his time and resources to many in his family and community and will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him. Jim is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Kay; his three children, Mike, John and Lori; and his seven grandchildren; two brothers, Thomas R. Weeks of Anderson and Edgar D. Weeks of Morganton, N.C. A memorial service honoring his life will be held on Saturday at Johns Creek Presbyterian Church, 10950 Bell Road, Johns Creek, Ga., 30097. Posted in Obituaries on Friday, December 20, 2013 Christmas 2013: A reflection on families By Graham Osteen This Christmas, I'd like to engage in some family remembrance prompted by the death of James Wesley Weeks, 77, of Duluth, Ga. "Jimmy" was my father's first cousin, who was born in Sumter and grew up in Pinewood. He died last week after sustaining brain injuries from an accidental fall. Many older Sumter Item readers will make meaningful connections with his life and local ties. He led a full, interesting life, as his obituary explained: He served honorably as a pilot in the U.S. Navy from 1956 - 1967. His Naval career was distinguished by serving two tours of duty with "Operation Deep Freeze" in the Antarctic, supporting the scientific missions there in 1959/60. "Mount Weeks" on the Antarctic continent was named after Lt. Weeks by a New Zealand survey team, whom he transported to the remote location. Later that decade as a P3 Orion pilot, he commanded air support for the sea recovery of NASA's Gemini 12 piloted by Buzz Aldrin and commanded by James Lovell. - - - In 1967, Jim joined Delta Airlines as a commercial pilot, retiring as a captain in 1996. He was an avid bicyclist and had a successful racing career in the 80's and 90's, winning medals in the U.S. Nationals and Golden Olympics, among others. Known by many as "Opa", he was an active member of his church and community and a generous supporter of arts education in Gwinnett County Schools and a tireless and devoted volunteer for the Duluth High School Marching Band. He gave generously of his time and resources to many in his family and community and will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him. Jim is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Kay; his three children, Mike, John and Lori; and his seven grandchildren. - - - I knew him as Cousin Jimmy the Famous Pilot, and he was always a welcome presence at my Osteen grandparents' Hasel Street home in Sumter. I asked my father for some more clarification on our relationship to Cousin Jimmy, and he explained it in a way that will surely be helpful to those who know some of the characters we're talking about here. For quick reference: "Toody" is my paternal grandmother from Pinewood; "Boodie" was her niece, and "Tat" and "Buzz" were her nephews. They were all from Kingstree, and I was fortunate to have known and loved every one of them. Here's how my father explains it all: - - - Jimmy and his sister Mary Lou (now deceased) were the first children of Uncle Jim Weeks, Toody's brother. After Uncle Jim's wife Margie (and Jimmy and Mary Lou's mother) died, Uncle Jim married Mary Hart (Aunt Mary), a school teacher in Pinewood. From this union Julia, Tommy and Edgar were born. Julia is deceased. She would move to Kentucky with her son and was a practicing pathologist. She never remarried. Thus Uncle Jim's children by Aunt Mary were Jimmy and Mary Lou's half-brothers and half-sister. Jimmy and Mary Lou were Aunt Mary's step-children, but he regarded her as his mother since he hardly remembered Aunt Margie since he was so young when she died. Aunt Gladys Weeks Evans, John William's mother and Toody's sister, died shortly after giving birth to John William. Toody, her mother, brother Jim and sisters Midge and Sis helped raise John William after his father, Willie Evans, was killed in a car accident when John William was about 12 years old. John William spent most of those growing-up years in Kingstree with Sis, Boodie, Tat and Buzz. Willie, by the way, had just been elected coroner for Williamsburg County when he was killed. - - - So there's one long, fairly complex branch of our family tree. When you think someone in your family is getting on your last nerve this Christmas - and it happens in all families - remember that we're all we've got, and we're all in it together. Ho. Ho. Ho. Merry Christmas. Graham Osteen is Editor-At-Large of The Item. He can be reached at graham@theitem.com. Follow him on Twitter @GrahamOsteen, or visit www.grahamosteen.com. Posted in Graham osteen, Columnists, Opinion on Sunday, December 22, 2013  [2, 3]
  MILI	He served honorably as a pilot in the U.S. Navy from 1956-1967. His naval career was distinguished by serving two tours of duty with “Operation Deep Freeze” in the Antarctic, supporting the scientific missions there in 1959/60. “Mount Weeks” on the Antarctic continent was named after Lt. Weeks by a New Zealand survey team, whom he transported to the remote location. Later that decade as a P3 Orion pilot, he commanded air support for the sea recovery of NASA’s Gemini 12 piloted by Buzz Aldrin and commanded by James Lovell.  [2]
  _UID	C717C9C10608427B9814CEB1C8CA8DE86530
  Death	18 Dec 2013
  Burial	21 Dec 2013	a memorial service was held at Johns Creek Presbyterian Church, 10950 Bell Road, Johns Creek, Georgia   [2]
  Person ID	I169151	Singleton and Related Families
  Last Modified	24 Dec 2013

  
  

  Father	Jim W. WEEKS   d. Bef 24 Dec 2005
  Mother	Margie   d. Bef 24 Dec 2005
  _UID	9B41E80654B84C27B17ACE75F0B7647E40D2
  _UID	9B41E80654B84C27B17ACE75F0B7647E40D2
  Family ID	F115266	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Kay
  Marriage	1950  [2]
  _UID	AD7418D045834964B637EF72C67B7EDC671D
  _UID	AD7418D045834964B637EF72C67B7EDC671D
  Children	1. Mike WEEKS   2. John WEEKS   3. Lori WEEKS
  Family ID	F115271	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	24 Dec 2013

  
  

• Sources

  [S6102] Dr. Julia A. Weeks. [S20236] James W. Weeks. [S20237] Commentary - Christmas 2013: A reflection on families.