Joseph Benjamin Wolf
Joseph Benjamin Wolf, 87, of Avella, died Saturday, March 25, 2023, in Washington Hospital.
He was born October 27, 1935, in Oklahoma City, Okla., a son of the late Joseph C. and Clara Payne Wolf.
The eldest of eight children, he was a natural leader with a calm and steady nature. Growing up and working on an Oklahoma wheat farm developed his appreciation for hard work. He honed his mechanical skills by servicing vehicles at Wheatland Motors alongside his lifelong friend, Bud Drabek.
When he met Rosemary in the early 1960s, his life took on new meaning. This breadbasket farmer would have followed her to the ends of the earth, but they settled in Avella, where they built a life near her family, raising four children and extending his reputation for being a strong and reliable neighbor.
He was a man of many hats (mostly ballcaps), talents and names, answering to Joe, Ben, Joe Ben, J.B., Jody, Grandpa or Uncle Ben. Over six decades of life in Pennsylvania, he worked for McGraw-Edison in Canonsburg, ventured into transformer field service, displayed his construction skills with projects such as West Middletown Post Office, and drove rollbacks for Brownlee Trucking. Until last month, he was still making deliveries, many to customers who requested only him.
A steadfast member and usher at St. Michael Church of St. Isidore the Farmer Parish, Avella, Ben was a faith-filled fixture at Sunday Mass. He always extended his sizable, often well-calloused hand to all in warm, heartfelt greetings.
Ben was a unique communicator and a champion of those he loved. With a deep, unmistakable voice, Ben drew in his conversation partners with his soft-spoken manner. An expert wordsmith, he crafted greeting cards with one-of-a-kind messages full of love, wisdom, encouragement, validation and often farming-influenced expressions. He embraced the technology of texting, the shorthand of words and the possibilities of emojis in sometimes head-scratching combinations. Despite his tall and strapping physique, he was the humblest man in the room. He approached the world with a quiet confidence elevated only by the accomplishments of his family.
Dad once messaged, “What’s keeping me warm is flashbacks 2 who was across the table @ C Barrel,” a text which highlighted two of his favorite passions: personal connections and a good Cracker Barrel meal, featuring a slice of raw onion with a side of apple cider vinegar.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Rosemary Withum Wolf of Avella; four children, Christine (Chris) Tarr of Triadelphia, W.Va., Jason (Missy Bytner) Wolf of Monroeville, Matthew (Lisa) Wolf of Boalsburg and Damian (Candace) Wolf of Ontonagon, Mich.; eight grandchildren, Michelle (Alex Chisolm) Wolf of San Francisco, Calif., Amelia (Ty) West of Eighty Four, Daniel (Erin Gunn) Wolf of Pittsburgh, Justine (Cody) Young of Wheeling, W.Va., Liam (Carson Coleman) Wolf of Mount Joy, Madelyn Wolf of New Orleans, La., and Audrey Wolf and Lydia Wolf, both of Boalsburg; a great-grandson, Kenzo Young; brothers Pete, David, Stephen and James Wolf, all of Oklahoma City; sisters Marjorie Wolf of Fort Collins, Colo., and Ellen Johnson and Martha Anderson, both of Oklahoma City; many nieces and nephews; and much beloved extended family.
Deceased are his parents and stepfather Henry Reding.
Friends and family will be received from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 29, in the Jerome A. Stefkovich Funeral Home Inc., 18 Campbell Street, Avella, where rosary will be said at 3 p.m. Wednesday. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 30, in St. Michael Church, 97 Highland Avenue, Avella, with the Rev. Zachary Galiyas officiating. Burial will follow in St. Michael Cemetery, Avella.
Memorial contributions may be directed to St. Isidore the Farmer Parish (specify to be used at St. Michael Church), 103 Church Road, Imperial, PA 15126, or to Wheeling University, 316 Washington Avenue, Wheeling, WV 26003, in his name.
Dad, we will forever be grateful “for the positive thumbprints U scattered about.”
Condolences may be expressed at www.stefkovichfuneralhome.com.