Rev. John M. Weston
October 4, 1927 – July 6, 2026
Rev. John Morris Weston, age 98, passed away peacefully on July 6, 2026, at Southwest Assisted Living in Del Rio, Texas. He was born on October 4, 1927, in Refugio, Texas, the son of Frederick C. Weston and Lillian Rose (Coffman) Weston.
He spent a lot of time in his hometown church but said that he never imagined himself in the pulpit. He came from a family of engineers and planned to follow into that profession. However, he said that at age 17 God called him into ministry, so he was obedient and responded with a “yes.” He served his first church at age 18, while attending Southwestern University then went to seminary. After graduating from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in 1954, John served United Methodist Churches in Lometa, Portland, Donna, Luling, Sonora, Harlingen, Eagle Lake, Pearsall, and Uvalde before retiring in 1994.
Known for his love of old cars and his satirical wit (at which his children often groaned), John said that he was called into ministry to give back to God for all the blessings he and his family received. From the age of 17, he pledged that he would serve God wherever he was called. He married Shirley at age 20 and they served together into retirement, describing their 5 children as their “pride and joy.”
In addition to his parents, John was predeceased by his wife of 77 years, Shirley Rae (Smith) Weston; his brothers James, Frederick, and William Weston and a sister Margaret Straw; and sons Jeffrey and Jimmy.
Survivors are his son John Weston and his wife, Donna, of Del Rio; daughters Carol Ann Weston of Abilene, Susan Tegen and her husband, Tom, of Potosi; eight grandchildren Bryan Weston, Alyssa Villarreal, Laura Dickson, Jennie Peters, Ty Weston, Clay Weston, Paul Tegen, and Garrett Tegen; eleven great-grandchildren Addie, Grady, Lexi, Elise, Alex, Carter, Caden, Grace, Evelyn, Lucina, and Maya; one great-great grandchild Delilah; and numerous nieces and nephews.
After retirement, John and Shirley enjoyed their home on Lake Buchanan, where they spent many happy years feeding deer and birds and enjoying the wildflowers, continuing to travel often to spend time with family and enjoy trips with friends. They asked that their combined ashes and bluebonnet seeds be spread by family at a special place where Jeffrey and Jimmy’s ashes lie, near the lake house. They requested that there be no formal services, but memorials may be directed to Methodist Children’s Home, 1111 Herring Ave, Waco TX 76708 or a charity near to your heart.
