Irene Weston Croft, 92, died March 28, 2011, in Atlanta, her home of 62 years. Born to the late William Stevenson Weston, a successful engineer and amateur poet, and Irene Gabrey Weston, an accomplished artist, of Columbia, SC, on June 23, 1918, Irene grew up as the second child and only sister to three rough-and-tumble brothers, Steve, T.I., and Caldwell. As a tomboy, Irene developed into an excellent athlete, winning gold medals and lettering in four sports. She also distinguished herself as a piano prodigy, giving her first solo piano recital at age ten and garnering many first-place awards from the National Federation of Music Clubs. In 1938, she graduated with honors in music from Converse College in Spartanburg, SC, where her classmates elected her president of the Junior and Senior Classes as well as May Queen, one of the school’s highest recognitions at that time.
After college, with the Great Depression in its ninth year, Irene moved to New York City to hone her professional skills at the Katherine Gibbs School and then became secretary to the President of National City Bank, a forerunner of today’s Citigroup. In the evenings she was courted by Edward S. Croft, Jr., a young Wall Streeter and prior acquaintance from Aiken, SC, who had “gone north” to learn the investment business. They were married at St. John’s Congaree Episcopal Church, near Columbia, SC, on March 22, 1941, three months after Ed had entered the Army for a one-year tour of active duty. The bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the entry of the U.S. into World War II, extended his military service until the end of the war in August 1945. The couple and their three young children then moved to Washington, DC, where Ed continued his pre-war work with the First Boston Corporation as manager of the office. In 1949, they moved to Atlanta where Ed began a distinguished investment career with The Robinson-Humphrey Company, the oldest brokerage firm in the Southeast.
While attending to a family that eventually comprised six children, Irene devoted countless volunteer hours to her church and community, a commitment to service that predominated her long, rewarding life. Among her many contributions, Irene co-founded and was elected first president of the River Valley Garden Club; served as president of the “Little” Lovett School Mothers’ Club; was active in St. Rhoda’s Guild at The Cathedral of St. Philip and spearheaded the organization of The Cathedral Antiques Show; served as president of the Episcopal Church Women; chaired the Tour of Homes for Egleston Children’s Hospital; headed the Hospitality Committee for the Atlanta Symphony Guild; and established with her husband, in memory of their daughter Sarah who died in 1993, the Croft Family Scholarship Fund and the Croft Family Service Award at The Westminster Schools where all six of their children attended.
A multi-faceted woman, Irene studied architecture at Georgia Tech, designed and built two remarkable personal residences, won awards for her innovative amateur jewelry, and pursued a scholarly interest in opera and 18th century furniture.
A proud member of the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence through William Hooper of North Carolina, Irene instilled in her children and grandchildren an appreciation of the principles on which this country was founded.
Irene, whose husband of 68 years died in January 2010, is survived by five of her beloved children and their spouses: Ed and Susan Croft of Atlanta; Irene Croft, Jr. of Kailua-Kona, HI; Laurie and Susan Croft of Richmond, VA; Weston and Ouida Croft of Atlanta; and Greg and Mary Croft Ferguson of Atlanta. Her enduring legacy as the inimitable “Mama Rene” extends to 11 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. The family and friends of Irene Weston Croft will cherish their memories of this exceptional woman who walked the earth in amazing grace and has surely left it a better place.
The funeral service will be held on Friday, April 1, at 10:30 A.M. at The Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road, Atlanta. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service in the Court of Gratitude. Interment will take place at 12 noon at St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church, in Aiken, SC, on Saturday, April 2.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the Croft Family Scholarship Fund at The Westminster Schools, 1424 West Paces Ferry Rd., NW, Atlanta, GA 30327; or to The Cathedral of St. Philip, 2744 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30305, to support the charitable mission of The Cathedral Antiques Show; or to St. John’s Congaree Episcopal Church, 1151 Elm Savannah Road, Hopkins, SC 29061, to support the ministries of this historic church so dear to many generations of the Weston family.
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