John V. Wolfinger

John “Wolfy” V. Wolfinger of Sidney, OH, age 81, passed away on October 31, 2024. “Johnny”, as he was known by his family, was born in the coal mining town of Stonega, Virginia on Nov. 21, 1942.  His late parents, Frank & Anna (Matda), were both born in Hungary and met in the United States.  Johnny was the youngest of six siblings (Anna Suto, Margaret Gardner, Ethel Prater, Frank Wolfinger and William Wolfinger) that lived to adulthood.  As was not uncommon at this time, five other siblings passed within their early days or years.

The family moved to Dayton, OH when he was nine years old, intentionally moving away from the coal mining industry where relatives had worked and perished. John attended Fairview High School, Dayton, OH where he lettered 10 times and was voted the best athlete in his class out of 346 students.  After high school, he attended Bluffton College (now University) and was a member of the baseball team.  Freshman year he batted .500 (29-58) with 29 RBI’s and earned small college All American Honors. John married Mary Evans his senior year and after he earned his Bachelor’s Degree they moved to Sidney, OH and had three children.  He later married Deborah Barr in 1985.

John spent his career in education and sports, earning his Masters of Educational Leadership degree from the University of Dayton. His various roles included coaching freshmen football, varsity assistant basketball and head baseball before becoming Sidney High School’s Athletic Director for 17 years.  He was very involved in Sidney Football’s 30-0 seasons and had many close ties with those players.  He retired from the Sidney City Schools after 33 years and then worked as Fairlawn’s Athletic Director for 10 years.  Additionally, he was Tournament Manager for the OHSAA Sectionals in girls’ basketball (41 yrs.), softball (15 yrs.) and volleyball (8 yrs.).  John was an avid golfer and member of Shelby Oaks Golf Course and later Piqua Country Club.  He organized football and basketball “pools” for family and friends, and you could find his bracket folded in his pocket or right next to his TV.  His love for card games continued until recently, playing at the Sidney Senior Center or with close friends.  Quoting scores of college football, NFL and the World Series games, John was sharp and competitive until the very end.

John is survived by his wife Deborah.  He is also survived by his three children, Megan (Alan) Holtslander, Michael (Kaye) Wolfinger, and Matthew (Kristina) Wolfinger, along with his step-sons; Scott (Tiffany Kemp) Barr, Christopher (Emily) Barr, Eric Barr, and Jeffrey (Jennifer) Barr along with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.    Also surviving him are his two brothers, Frank (Suzanne) and William (Beverly) Wolfinger and many nieces and nephews. His three sisters predeceased him along with his brother-in-laws George Suto and Dwight Prater.

All family, friends, coaches, athletes, students, golf and poker players are encouraged to attend a Celebration of Life service at Shelby Oaks Golf Course, Sidney, OH on Sunday, December 8, 2024 at noon with a luncheon to follow. The family will receive friends from 11:30 A.M. until the time of service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in John’s name to the Senior Center of Sidney-Shelby County, 304 S. West Ave., Sidney, OH 45365.