Michael J. Wendle

Michael J. Wendle of West Chester, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on March 12, 2021.  He was 74 years old.

Michael had a happy childhood in Johnstown, Pennsylvania with his parents, sisters and very close friends.  He spent summers at his family’s Camp Pleasant, PA, cottage fishing, canoeing, swimming, and trying to avoid snakes.  Skiing, football practice/games, and dating filled his teenage years in addition to a variety of vehicles—an old Chevy, an Austin Healey Bugeye Sprite (a favorite of his friends who felt super cool tooling around in it), and finally a behemoth Cadillac which replaced the Sprite due to an unfortunate mix-up of a forward gear instead of reverse.  College years were spent at Penn State in State College making new friends in the Delta Upsilon fraternity house, studying for a biochemistry degree, and becoming a life-long Nittany Lion fan.  After graduation Michael worked for the DuPont Company at Chambers Works in Deepwater, NJ, as a chemist.

He met his future wife Susan Aeschliman at DuPont, they married a year later and enjoyed a 50-year marriage and two terrific sons, Michael, Jr. and Andrew.  Michael transferred to Photo Products at DuPont and worked 24 years building a successful career in sales living in Long Island; Schenectady, NY; Hockessin, DE; Morristown, NJ; Lincoln, MA and Chadds Ford.  Retirement highlights included a move to Tullamore in West Chester and two special weddings that brought wonderful young women, Dena Jordan and Sarah Dunn, into his family.  He enjoyed his new friends, gardening, reading, golfing with his wife and often walking with her at Winterthur and Longwood Gardens, and the pure pleasure of celebrating the births of five grandchildren:  Devon, Maylee, Mason, Henry, and Renee.  Life was good watching them mature, marveling at their abilities, and being proud of his sons and daughters-in-law for their committed, loving parenting.

He was predeceased by his parents, the late Edgar and the late Frances Donley Wendle; and brother in law, Toni Bielski.  He is also survived by his sisters, Diane Wendle Fink (Karl) and Martha Wendle Bielski.

Visitation with the family will be on Friday, March 26, 2021 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. with a celebration of life service at 1:30 p.m. at the Longwood Funeral Home & Cremation of Matthew Genereux, 913 East Baltimore Pike, Kennett Square. 

Interment will follow the service in Lower Brandywine Cemetery, Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE.

In lieu of flowers, please consider the charity that Michael would suggest:  The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Donate,  {note: “research” In memory of:  Michael Wendle}