Early on Sunday morning, April 24, 2016, a bright candle in a window of a 17th-century home near the banks of the Brandywine Creek flickered and went out. George A. “Frolic” Weymouth died at the age of 79.
Frolic’s light showed the way for many in this region. He lived an exceptional life and strove to make all of our lives better in this part of the world. He was an accomplished artist, conservationist and horseman. He was one of the greatest whips of a four-in-hand coach in the world, and he also played polo. A true visionary, he welcomed each person he met with a joyous heart and a keen sense of humor.
Frolic conceived both the Brandywine Conservancy—now recognized nationally for its efforts in land preservation—and the Brandywine River Museum of Art in Chadds Ford. He worked tirelessly for 51 years to make these organizations what they are today.
In 1971, at the age of 33, Frolic acquired at auction the old Hoffman’s Mill next to the Brandywine. Just previously, a group led by Frolic founded the Brandywine Conservancy. The first conservation easements, protecting more than five-and-a-half miles along
the Brandywine, were granted in 1969. Today, the organization holds hundreds of such easements and has protected more than 60,000 acres in Chester and Delaware counties and New Castle County, Del.
Over his 60-year career as an artist, Weymouth exhibited his landscapes, flower studies and portraits in numerous shows. His subjects were friends and family, along with international notables Luciano Pavarotti and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
His paintings can be found in major private collections and in places like the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Artist Jamie Wyeth remembers Weymouth as an enduring presence in his life. “Frolic was a neighbor and family. He and my father were dear friends.
He was an immensely talented artist and achieved so much with his work in Chadds Ford, both in land conservation and with the museum. He instilled his passion for art and the environment into all of his many friends, and they opened their hearts and their wallets to his causes. He was the best fundraiser I ever met.”
In an article for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Art Carey asked Frolic, “Are you a bon vivant?” His reply: “Do you mean am I a good liver? Yes, I love good living. Why have a bad time? It’s such a beautiful world, and every day is my oyster. No one has had more fun out of life than I have.”
George A. Weymouth is survived by his son, McCoy “Mac” duPont Weymouth, his wife, Toni Toomey-Weymouth, and their children; his brother, Eugene E. Weymouth; and his sister, Patricia Weymouth Hobbs. He is also survived by Anna Brelsford McCoy, to whom he was married until 1979, and his companion, Carlton Cropper.