Winfred B. “Win” Weston, a longtime Irrigon resident, died on June 17, 2022 in Troutdale at the age of 99.
He was born on Dec. 26, 1922 in Salem, Mo. to Bruce and Tamara Halbrook Weston.
Win was 10 or 12 years old when he started playing for square dances and Roaring Twenties music as a guitar accompanist. He graduated from Salem High School in the class of 1941. Win worked in St. Louis, Mo. at various jobs before joining the United States Navy in 1944. During World War I he served on the destroyer USS Putnam, flag ship of the 66th Squadron. He participated in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Win was honorably discharged in 1946 and returned to St. Louis, working in a poultry and fish market for a short time. He then started a long career with the Mobil Oil Corporation. Win worked on a tow boat and barges on the Mississippi River and its tributaries as a tankerman second mate. He was transferred to Portland in 1953, working at the Mobil wholesale distributor plant.
Win was united in marriage to Dorothy “Jane” Gulley on July 11, 1957 in Stevenson, Wash. He retired in 1983 from Exxon Mobil after 36 years with the company. They moved to Irrigon in 1984, and he joined the Old Time Fiddlers Association as an accompanist and featured musician. Win served as director of the Irrigon shows for 12 years. He also played with The Buttercreek Boys for several years.
Win enjoyed camping, training bird dogs, gardening and raising fruit trees, and he loved music. He and Jane were the Irrigon Watermelon Festival grand marshals in 2002 and then again in 2016.
He is survived by his daughters, Barbara Shafer and Ruth Shefchek; son, David Weston; five grandchildren; and three great grandchildren.
Win was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Jane Weston; his parents; a brother, Arvy; sisters, Maxine and Lorine; and a granddaughter, Monica.
A celebration of life service will be held on Saturday, July 9, 2022 at 1 p.m. at Burns Mortuary Chapel, Hermiston.
Burial with military honors will follow at the Desert Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Irrigon.
A celebration of life potluck gathering will follow at Stokes Landing Senior Center. Please bring your favorite salad or side dish to share.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Win’s memory may be made to Stokes Landing Senior Center, Irrigon.
Please share memories of Win with his family at burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Burns Mortuary of Hermiston is in care of arrangements.
