When Joseph Preble Weeks retired from the Army in 1981, he moved to a farm he owned in Stafford County and became active in Republican Party politics at the local and state levels.

He worked on multiple campaigns during the 1980s as chairman of the Stafford County Republican Committee. He was director of field operations for the Virginia effort for the Reagan-Bush presidential ticket in 1984.

He was a political consultant for the gubernatorial campaigns of Stanford “Stan” Parris in 1985, Raymond Guest Jr. in 1989 and Robert D. Kilpatrick in 1992. He also worked on the House of Delegates campaigns of Eric Cantor and Bill Janis.

At the time of his death Wednesday at his Manakin home, he was vice chairman of the 7th Congressional District Republican Committee.

The 72-year-old retired Army lieutenant colonel will be remembered at a Mass of Christian burial Monday at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 9505 Gayton Road in Henrico County.

A Washington native, he graduated with a degree in history from the University of Virginia in 1959. Then he followed uncles who had served in the Army and a great-grandfather who served with the French Ambulance Corps into the military, said his daughter, Ursel Huber of Fort Huachuca, Ariz.

He spent part of his career as a Ranger with Special Forces. In Saudi Arabia, he once was arrested for hiking in the desert, “which apparently was a no-no,” said his wife of 36 years, Susan Chermely Weeks.

He spent the bulk of his career with the Transportation Corps, serving in West Germany, Louisiana, two tours of the Vietnam War, Turkey, Texas and Virginia.

Lt. Col. Weeks graduated from the Naval War College and earned a master’s degree in management from Troy State University in 1976.

In 1988, he became the third generation of his family to manage Rochambeau, a family farm in Goochland County. The apple orchard was his passion, his family said. The Weekses were known locally for their annual apple cider party, where they fresh-pressed cider on site.

Lt. Col. Weeks, who enjoyed art, architecture and history, also was a horseman who had been a member of the Deep Run Hunt Club.

Survivors, in addition to his wife and daughter, include a son, Joseph G. Weeks of King George; a sister, Anne Hancock of Arlington County; and four grandchildren.

Ellen Robertson is a staff writer with The Times-Dispatch.