John David Wenger

John David Wenger, 96, passed away on Dec. 23, 2017 in Goshen, Ind. He was born on April 14, 1921 in Guernsey, Saskatchewan, Canada to the late Abram and Esther Yoder Wenger. He lived almost his entire life in the Chesapeake, Va. area.

He graduated from Great Bridge High School and was a lifelong member of Mt. Pleasant Mennonite Church. As a conscientious objector to war, John served in Civilian Public Service near Luray, Va. and in Maine, as a milk tester until the end of World War II.

John is survived by his nine children: Harold (Elba) of Tuscon, Ariz.; Howard (Melodie) of Pilot, Va.; Sidney (Terry) of Virginia Beach, Va.; Preston (Rebecca) of Norfolk, Va.; Richard (Pat) of Seattle, Wash.; Louise (Linford) Sommers of Sarasota, Fla.; Beverly (Gary) Bottorff of Portland, Ore.; Christine Nofsinger of Marcellus, Mich.; Barbara (Joe) Cipolla of Green Oaks, Ill; 18 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Ruth (Dorvin) Schlabach of Goshen, Ind.; Norma (Herb) Brunk of Lima, Ohio; two brothers. Herbert Wenger and Homer Wenger of Chesapeake, Va. John was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Edith Grace Hertzler Wenger, daughter-in-law Christine Headings Wenger and siblings Melvin, Mary and Charlotte Wenger, all of Chesapeake.

John, a plastering contractor, then a poultry farmer, and subsequently a building contractor, had an abiding fascination for mathematics, religion (Old Testament), and politics. He will be remembered for the generosity he and Edith shared with refugees from Albania, Laos and other countries. His quest for knowledge was insatiable. This pursuit of a world outside himself made him unique. He will be remembered for his wit and his dissemination of “John's wisdom.”

A memorial service will be held at Mt. Pleasant Mennonite Church, 2041 Mount Pleasant Road, Chesapeake, Va., on Sat., January 13, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to Mt. Pleasant Mennonite Church.