James Weak, Ex-Mayor of Moorpark, Dies at 42

James D. Weak, former mayor of Moorpark and a leading opponent of strict growth controls there, died at City of Hope Medical Center on Thanksgiving, two days after his 42nd birthday.

Weak resigned in June from the City Council and the post of mayor after learning that what seemed to be a bad cold was acute myelogenous leukemia, a cancer of the blood.

He received chemotherapy treatments and underwent a bone marrow transplant at City of Hope on Aug. 20.

“He fought so hard because he had a lot to live for, and never once did his spirits go down,” said Leta Yancy-Sutton, a former Moorpark council member and friend and political ally of Weak. “You just wonder why it’s always the good guys,” she said.

Weak, a business manager for Northrop Corp. in Newbury Park, was born in Omaha, Neb., one of 15 children. He moved to Moorpark in 1981 and was appointed to its planning commission in 1983.

In 1984, the year after the Ventura County community was incorporated as a city, Weak was elected to the City Council. In November, 1985, fellow council members elected him mayor of Moorpark, a community of 16,000 that is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state.

Before his illness, Weak had emerged as a leading spokesman against an initiative to limit development to 250 new residential units a year. The initiative was adopted by voters in November.

Weak is survived by his wife, Peggy; sons, Patrick, 7, and Brendan, 6, and 13 brothers and sisters.

A memorial service is scheduled Tuesday at United Methodist Church in Moorpark.