James Hamner, 67; Model for Character in ‘The Waltons’ Family

James Hamner, 67, youngest son in a family depicted in television’s “The Waltons,” died Thursday in Charlottesville, Va., of unspecified causes. He had suffered from emphysema and heart problems.

As the youngest of eight siblings, James Hamner was the model for the character Jim-Bob Walton. He had moved to Charlottesville in December after selling the family home in the small Virginia town of Schuyler. The Hamners had owned the house for more than a century.

His older brother, Earl, model for the series’ John-Boy character, wrote books and the television show based on his family’s experiences living in Schuyler. The program, which ran from 1972 to 1981, depicted a large close-knit family in Depression-era Virginia.

James Hamner served in the Army, then worked for a few years as a bank manager. He spent 35 years as a systems analyst at the University of Virginia before retiring in 2000.