James Lowell Weldon Jr., 16 Dec 1951 - 01 Jan 2025

WELDON, ORRIS, SHANNAHAN, PITLICK, DONOCAN, SARGENT, YAUK, WARDENBURG, CORMAN, STOCKTON

Posted By: Sarah Witte (email)
Date: 1/8/2025 at 15:38:54

James Lowell Weldon Jr. "Jim/Fuzzy", 73, passed away on January 1, 2025 surrounded by his family at the VA Medical Center in Iowa City from complications with Anti-Neutrophil Cytoplasmic Autoantibody (ANCA) ¬Associated Vasculitis (AAV) plus Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis (GPA).

To celebrate Jim’s life, a service will be held at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service followed by a gathering for family and friends until 6:00 PM. Casual attire is highly encouraged. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Sandy Weldon, to be donated to the ICU at The VA Hospital in Iowa City for their love and care they gave to Jim and his family in his final weeks.

Jim was born on December 16, 1951 in Sigourney to James "Red" and Vivian (Orris) Weldon of Holbrook. He was number three of nine children, and the oldest of seven boys. He attended intermediary school in a one¬room school house in Holbrook, of which he claimed to be the valedictorian- there were only three students in his class after all. Jim attended Williamsburg High School, where he excelled in football and wrestling. He graduated in 1970, soon after, joining the United States Army, stationed in Germany. He received an early discharge with the ending of the Vietnam conflict. After his discharge from the service, he returned to Iowa, where he married his high school sweetheart, Sandy Shannahan, on January 20, 1973. To their union three children were born: Aimee, Allison and Andrew.

Jim and his family called many cities home: Iowa City, Kansas City (MO), Waterloo, Colorado Springs (CO), Cosgrove, Oxford, Mt. Morris (IL), Solon, West Branch Oxford, and most recently, North Liberty. Those early years, they followed the construction boom- Jim was a talented drywaller. As the years past, construction took a toll on his physique, encouraging Jim's mid-life crisis dream of opening a restaurant. In 1995, they opened Circle A Steakhouse in West Branch. This establishment was a grill your own steakhouse, with fresh homemade salads of all kinds made by Jim weekly. In August of 1998, they abruptly closed Circle A, as their first of nine grandchildren was born and a new life chapter started.

The love Jim had for his grandchildren was tremendous. Attending as many of their events as possible, teaching them to fish, tried to instill his love for horses, stirring up as much mischief as possible and never, ever using the word "no". Jim will be remembered for his love and admiration for his family and be deeply missed by all who loved him back.

Jim is survived by his wife, Sandy, their three children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Aimee {Gary) Pitlick and children Katie of Williamsburg, Kyle (Sanela) and son Henry, Tess and Taylor all of Oxford; Allison (Shawn) Donovan and children Regan, Finn, and Caroline all of North Liberty; Andy (Teresa) of Mt. Pleasant and his children Addison (Joel) Sargent and daughter Sutton of Ely, and Jack Weldon of Tiffin; his mother, Vivian Weldon, his siblings, Pat (Gary) Yauk, Jeff (Sally), Tim, Ron (Kathy), Doug (Karen), sister-in-law's Sue Weldon, Lea Weldon, Helen Weldon, Sharon Weldon, Shari Weldon, Marcy (Kent) Wardenburg, Julie Corman and many, many nieces and nephews, and many, many more great nieces and nephews.

Jim was preceded in death by his father, Red Weldon, his in-laws, Joe and Katie Shannahan, his brothers Dan and Tony, his Irish twin sister Peg, sister-in-law Teri Shannahan, nephews Brian Yauk and Nick Weldon, niece Tara Wardenburg and great-nephew Kyler Stockton.

Published on Lensing Funeral Home website, an abbreviated version was published in The Gazette on January 4, 2025.