Verlyn Elroy Wolf

Verlyn E. Wolf was born on September 29, 1932, in Gaylord, Kansas, and passed away February 1, 2026, in Carlsbad, California, surrounded by his wife and family. He is survived by his wife Joanne; his son Rick and daughter-in-law Kim; his grandsons Tim, Philip (and his wife Amy), and Nathan; and his great-grandson Elias.

If Verlyn could tell you what mattered most in life, he would say without hesitation: knowing the Lord Jesus. His faith was not casual, but was the result of many years of soul-searching, careful thought, and reading deeply from philosophers and Christian thinkers such as Francis Schaeffer. For Verlyn, coming to Christ was both an act of faith and an intellectual pursuit. He believed truth mattered and that ultimately all truth points to Jesus.

Second only to his faith was his devotion to his bride, Joanne Wolf. Their marriage was marked by deep affection, loyalty, and genuine partnership. They were rarely apart and deeply attuned to one another. They were truly best friends. Verlyn lived out the call of Ephesians 5:25—to love his wife as Christ loved the church—not in words, but in daily life.

Verlyn was a devoted father to his son, Rick, and they spent countless hours together while Rick was growing up—backpacking, skiing, exploring the outdoors, and simply talking. Verlyn encouraged curiosity and independence, always coming alongside Rick’s ideas, no matter how ambitious they seemed.

As a young man, Verlyn served in the U.S. Army, which took him to Germany and introduced him to Europe for the first time. That experience profoundly shaped his worldview, exposing him to history, culture, and perspectives beyond what he’d known growing up in the small town of Lexington, Nebraska.

Years later, he and Joanne returned to Europe together, traveling simply and thoughtfully, revisiting places that had first influenced him as a young soldier. This was one example of extensive travels and adventures he and Joanne made together and later did with their son.

Professionally, Verlyn was an accomplished banker and businessman with more than 30 years in banking. He possessed a rare mind for numbers, accounting, and complex systems, and his expertise was widely respected. Though deeply accomplished, he remained humble and was well liked by everyone. A lesser-known but significant contribution was his involvement in the early development of wire funds transfer, work that helped shape modern banking operations.

Verlyn was also a gifted debater. He served on a debate team and competed in debates sponsored by the American Institute of Banking and was part of a team that won a national debate championship in Detroit, Michigan, in May 1967.

Later in life, Verlyn stepped away from a successful career to pursue Christian service with his wife Joanne, working with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and participating in discipleship training, outreach, and missions support both in the United States and abroad.

Verlyn will be remembered as incredibly kind, gentle, compassionate, and unfailingly dependable. He was deeply generous, giving to Christian missions and family. He loved nature, was an avid gardener, and delighted in animals and birds.

He lived thoughtfully, faithfully, and well—and leaves behind a legacy of love, intellect, and devotion.

Verlyn will be deeply missed, but we are comforted knowing he is now in a far better place with his loving Savior, Jesus Christ. For all who know the Lord, we hold fast to the promise that we will one day all be reunited.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8