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James Edward Wightman
James Edward Wightman of Southampton died peacefully on August 9, at UMASS Memorial - Marlborough Hospital in Marlborough, Massachusetts, with his son Craig at his side. He was 90.
Born in Royalton, New York, on February 12, 1934, he was the son of Percy Owen Wightman and Lucy (Roberts) Wightman and grew up in Lockport, New York, with his younger sister Patty. He was a graduate of DeSales Catholic School in Lockport and furthered his education attaining a master’s degree in education from Buffalo State University.
After his graduation, he proudly served in the U.S. Army for three years as a supply sergeant and was honorably discharged.
He got his first teaching job in upstate New York, then he made his way to Long Island in 1961 to be the Southampton Intermediate School art teacher. He taught there for 31 years, until his retirement in 1992.
In 1963, he married his former wife Ann Bishop and had his sons Mark in 1969 and Craig in 1972.
He was an active member of the Southampton Artists Association, and of the Southampton Pistol & Rifle Club. He was an avid supporter of the National Rifle Association and enjoyed competitive target shooting.
Passionate about children and their extracurricular activities, he created and coached the East End Kids Wrestling program back in the 1980s. He spent many summers on the Art Barge in Amagansett, and enjoyed researching his family genealogy.
Due to health reasons, he moved to Massachusetts in October 2020 to be closer to his son Craig and his family. He had been a resident of Whitney Place in Westborough, Massachusetts, for the past few years.
He is survived by his son Craig E. Wightman and his wife Jennifer (Guillo) of Douglas, Massachusetts; their children, Nathan and Avery Wightman, also of Douglas; his daughter-in-law and Mark’s former wife, Sara Kavanagh-Mulligan Wightman; their children, Taylor, Colin, and Kelly Wightman; his brother-in-law Maurice Harding of Princeton, New Jersey, and his wife Iona Harding; his nephews, Justin Harding of Hawaii, and Jason Harding of New Jersey. He was predeceased by his son Mark James Wightman in 2020; and his sister Patricia Harding in 1993.
A private burial will take place in Southampton. A celebration of his life will be held from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the Southampton Cultural Center on October 12, casual dress is encouraged. At this celebration of life event, many of his pieces will be available to bid on (via silent auction) with all proceeds going to his Alzheimer’s Association Tribute Page. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to his tribute page at Tribute Page.
Staff Writer on Sep 19, 2024