John Wolfe Obituary

Wolfe, John

John Wolfe, a lifelong writer, veteran journalist and preeminent communications executive from Bronxville, N.Y., died Sunday, May 19, surrounded by his family members. He was 72.

His beloved wife, Ray Ann, and his two children-Caitlin and Terrence-were at his side when he passed at White Plains Hospital Sunday afternoon. They were playing Irish music for him.

A proud Chicago native who fell in love with New York, Wolfe spent a life in communications in a career equally divided between journalism and public relations. He was most recently a leading PR/Communications consultant in Manhattan working with organizations including the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), where he was Director of Communications.

He was a man of exceptional wisdom, talent, kindness, empathy and generosity. He taught his children to examine their lives carefully and make their choices intentionally. He was most grateful for his family and adored spending time with his adult children, following their lives and careers with affection and pride.

Wolfe was a Renaissance man in the truest sense. He had broad interests, a network of trusted colleagues and a wide circle of friends. He and his wife met in Rome on the campus of Loyola University's Rome program. They later married in Michigan, and their work during their 38-year-long marriage took them to assignments based in Chicago, London and New York.

He called his daughter, Caitlin, "Bundle," and took her on her first trip abroad to celebrate her graduation from the 8th grade, just the two of them. He took his son, Terrence, on trips around the country trying to see games in all Major League Baseball stadiums. They hit 14 of them. He was a lifelong fan of the Chicago Cubs.

Wolfe had a peerless sense of humor. He frequently traded lines with friends from his favorite novels, poems and movies, and he loved to read fiction and non-fiction, watch great films and argue politics.

He was a fiercely loyal mentor and career advisor to colleagues, friends and family, and he reveled in their successes. He devoured news stories and loved critiquing the media and advertising world. Wolfe wrote creatively, as well, mainly about his journalism days.

He began his journalism career in 1976 as a reporter for the legendary City News Bureau of Chicago and later worked as a reporter and writer for the Kansas City Times (now Star), the Chicago Sun-Times and the Associated Press before joining Advertising Age, where he worked for 10 years as an editor in the U.S. and UK.

Wolfe also spent three years as executive editor of House Beautiful, a monthly Hearst publication, and he served as managing editor-and later editor-in-chief-of Art & Antiques magazine.

He moved on from journalism to become Director of Public Affairs for the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As) and later worked as Director of Communications for Mindshare North America and for GroupM. More recently, Wolfe was Senior Vice President at DiGennaro Communications, a Manhattan-based boutique PR agency specializing in the advertising, marketing and media sectors.

Wolfe was a graduate of Loyola Academy and Boston College, and he avidly followed the Eagles' sports.

He is survived by his wife, Ray Ann Kelly; his daughter, Caitlin Wolfe; his son, Terrence Wolfe, and his fiancée, Megan McCloskey.

Visitation will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday, May 30, at the Fred H. McGrath & Son Inc. Funeral Home at 20 Cedar Street, Bronxville, NY 10708. For more information on Wolfe, go to Legacy.com.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations can be sent in John Wolfe's memory to Loyola Academy, 1100 Laramie Avenue, Wilmette IL 60091, or online at GoRamblers.org; and also to Loyola University's John Felice Rome Center program, through Loyola University Chicago, Alumni Relations, 820 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago IL 60661 (or 'Make a Gift to the JFRC' online).

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