By Carla J. Zambelli,

George Alexis Weymouth, known as “Frolic” passed away yesterday April 24, 2016.  He would have been 80 years old in June.   

Born in 1936 in Wilmington, Delaware, to George and Dulcinea (neé du Pont) Weymouth, Frolic Weymouth grew up in Greenville, Delaware and spent the greater part of his life living in the Brandywine Valley.  The nickname “Frolic,” given to him in childhood, perfectly embodied the joy with which he lived his life and his irrepressible sense of humor.  

As per the Brandywine Conservancy, encouraged by his artistic mother, Mr. Weymouth began painting as a child and continued at St. Mark’s School (class of ’54) and Yale University (class of ’58). As a teenager, he was introduced to Andrew Wyeth, who became an artistic mentor and lifelong friend.

As an artist, Mr. Weymouth exhibited over the span of approximately sixty years, and his art is in the collections of friends and family as well as international notables such as Luciano Pavarotti and His Royal Highness Prince Philip.  His paintings are also in major private and museum collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

In 1967,   Mr. Weymouth, along with Bill Pricket and Francis I. DuPont purchased two parcels of land in Chadds Ford that were threatened with industrial development, and founded the organization that became the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art.  

Jeffrey M. Nielsen, Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the Brandywine Conservancy described Mr. Weymouth as “an inspirational and visionary leader.”  According to Mr. Nielsen, Mr. Weymouth was known to all as a gentleman with a divine sense of humor and penchant for fun (Mr. Weymouth once served scrapple with chutney on a silver tray). It never mattered who Frolic entertained, he was always himself, said Mr. Nielsen.

From the Queen of England to the man serving French fries at Jimmy John’s, Mr. Weymouth had a genuine love and respect for the people around him and those he met.   

To those who knew Frolic Weymouth, that showed his heart: that life should be lived with purpose, but also fun. A family friend described him as a very private yet caring man who was simply magnificent; that the mold has been broken with his passing.

Jeffrey Nielsen also noted how Frolic Weymouth leaves such a rich and layered legacy of art, land stewardship, and environmental passion. Mr. Weymouth’s legacy will live on under the stewardship of the Brandywine Conservancy.

For over forty years, Mr. Weymouth was a well-known figure in coaching circles and he exhibited his four matched bay Standard-bred horses and antique carriages annually in the country’s leading shows. One of only two Americans to be a member of The Coaching Club (England), he was also the president of the Four-in-Hand Club.  

Mr. Weymouth is survived by his son, McCoy “Mac” duPont Weymouth and his wife Toni Toomey-Weymouth; their children, Sophie Tyler Brown and Misha Kal Toomey-Brown; his brother, Eugene E. Weymouth and sister, Patricia Weymouth Hobbs.  He is also survived by Anna Brelsford McCoy, to whom he was married until 1979, and his companion, Carlton Cropper.

A small private funeral service will be held by invitation only.  Friends and the public are invited to call at the Brandywine River Museum of Art to pay respects and see a tribute exhibition beginning Friday, April 29th. Cards for the family may be left in the care of the Museum.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Frolic Weymouth Endowment Fund of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art. A tribute page has also been especially set up by the Brandywine Conservancy and they encourage all to leave a message or a memory.