John D. Wolfenden, Sr.

John Donald Wolfenden, Sr. of Wilmington, DE passed into Heaven at the age of 95 on August 31, 2023.

John was born in 1927 in Ridley Park, PA. In 1945, he was drafted into the U.S. Army where he assisted in the transfer of wounded troops to hospitals. John was a graduate of Glen-Nor High School (1945), Wharton Business School in Accounting/Finance (1951), and Widener College in Accounting (1970). He met his wife, Luella, at a local bank and they married in 1956. John joined the DuPont Company in 1951 and enjoyed a 34-year career in Finance and then Computer Systems.

John was a devoted father and raised five children, after the passing of Luella in 1972. Once he retired, he especially enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren. John was also an avid tennis player, beginning at age 50, for over 30 years. He played in tennis leagues, the Senior Olympics, and helped run leagues at the DuPont Country Club for many years. He also enjoyed golf, traveling, camping, walking, volunteering, teaching, reading, painting, and stained glass art. He was a member of Concord Presbyterian Church for many years.

John was preceded in death by his wife, Luella (McCann) Wolfenden; his brothers, Elmer P. Wolfenden and H. Thomas Wolfenden; his sister, Ruth Wolfenden; his parents, Elmer and Anna Wolfenden; and his son, David Wolfenden.

He is survived by his children: Carol Oscar (John) of Middletown, DE; Susan Rossiter of Middletown, DE; John Wolfenden, Jr. (Cathy) of Berkeley, CA; and Mary Harrison (Jeff) of Wilmington, DE; 11 grandchildren: Janet Machulski (Chris), Julie Morley (Glenn), Jenn Oscar, Amanda Heun (Andrew), Kathleen Rossiter-Schmidt (Justin), Claire Wolfenden, Ellie and Deanna Wolfenden, Graham, Alexa, and Tyler Harrison; 6 great-grandchildren: Jacob Machulski, Alex, Jack, and Matthew Morley; Brooks Heun, Jamison and Sterling Rossiter-Schmidt; sisters Mary Talley Ginsburg of Phoenixville, PA, Bette McKinlay (Arch) of Oak Harbor, WA, and Anne Akers (John) of Montreat, NC; and multiple nieces and nephews.

The family would like to especially thank all the staff at Foulk Living for their excellent care and kindness.

A graveside service will be held on Monday September 11, 2023 at 10am at Edgewood Memorial Park, Glen Mills, PA. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Delaware Tennis Foundation, c/o Meghan Reardon, P.O. Box 4414, Greenville, DE 19807.