ALBANY, Ohio — James Earl Gaston, 98, Albany, passed away Monday, July 24, 2023, at Kettering Grandview Hospital, Dayton, Ohio. Born June 24, 1925, in Shade, Ohio, he was the son of the late Arthur and Lucy Frost Gaston.
He was a WWII Army veteran of the Pacific Theater, where he earned several medals, including a Silver Star and a Purple Heart, for his bravery in the Philippines and the life-changing injuries he sustained there. He was a farmer, and a member and former chief of Columbia Township Volunteer Fire Department, and a former Columbia Township Trustee.
He is survived by nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife Vivian Hess Gaston, siblings Richard (Hazel) Gaston, Evelyn (Clifford) Smith, Byron Gaston, William (Roberta) Gaston, Charles (Bernice) Gaston, and Paul (Margaret) Gaston.
Services are at 2 p.m. Sunday at Bigony-Jordan Funeral Home, with Pastor Bert Christian officiating. Visitation will be 1–2 p.m. prior to the service. Burial will be in School Lot Cemetery, with military graveside services by K.T. Crossen Post 21 American Legion, and Albany VFW Post 93.
