Obituary for William Nathan Englehart
WILLIAM NATHAN ENGLEHART OBITUARY
March 11, 1931 to October 21, 2022
William N. (“Bill”) Englehart, age 91, passed peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his loving wife Wilda M. (nee Warnick) and daughters Amanda Brown and Christi Tompkins at Elm Terrace Gardens in Lansdale, Pennsylvania early in the morning of October 21, 2022. Bill was preceded in death by both his parents Alvin C. and Josephine (nee Browning) and all of his siblings Theodore, Ruth (nee Hussey), Eloise (nee Critchfield) and Lois (nee McCarter).
Bill was born March 11, 1931 in Myersdale, Pennsylvania graduating from Meyersdale High School in 1949 where he was a standout basketball player. While Bill enjoyed his time on the basketball court, it was his love of music that led him to start a Drum & Bugle Corps at Meyersville High and later a jazz band where he regularly displayed his skills as a trumpet player.
After graduating from high school, Bill attended Gettysburg College. At the end of Bill’s first year, he left college to join his widowed mother Josephine to help run JM Cook Candy Co., the family business. Always the “apple of his mother’s eye” Bill’s love for and work with his mother forged early his work ethic, guided his character, made gentle his demeanor and made him the good man who would always put others first.
In 1962, Bill joined OM Scott & Sons where his sales and marketing expertise propelled him to national prominence in the lawn care business. With the support of his wife Wilda, Bill’s career with OM Scott & Sons took them to Naperville, Illinois, Columbus and Hudson, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania over his long career with the company. In the early 1980’s, Bill was recruited to join W. Atlee Burpee & Company as Chief Executive Officer which brought Bill and Wilda to their home in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. After a 12 year career with Burpee, Bill continued his passion for the lawn and seed business by acquiring two NaturaLawn of America franchises which Bill successfully led during his retirement years.
Beyond his stellar career in business, Bill was better known as a devoted husband to Wilda, a loving and kind father to his daughters Christi and Amanda and a model of character and integrity for his daughters as well as his five grandchildren. Bill’s love of family was never more apparent than when Bill and Wilda would host their grandchildren, Eric Tetzlaff (Amelia Mount), Patrick Brown (Theresa), Phillip Tetzlaff, Molly Dailey (Schulyer) and Abbie Kinney (Shaun) during the family’s annual summer vacation in Cape May, New Jersey, a nearly 40 year family tradition. Despite his declining health, Bill was overjoyed when he met his first great grandchild, Carter Nathan Kinney.
A man of deep faith, Bill routinely volunteered at his local church, serving as choir director in Pittsburgh; later in Doylestown where he took on key volunteer leadership roles at St. Paul Lutheran Church where he and Wilda faithfully attended for over 40 years. Active in his community, Bill served on the local YMCA Board and was also a Big Brother to several deserving young men in the local area. And to all who knew Bill, there was no bigger Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Well before the Steelers became Super Bowl Champions, Bill was a devoted fan who cheered for his team every Sunday with a bowl of popcorn on his lap. During football season, the only time Bill would step away from his beloved Steelers was when he joined Wilda on their annual trip to Maine to enjoy New England’s fall foliage. Perhaps it was fitting that Bill passed on a cool October morning, at the start of a sunny, blue sky day, with the autumn leaves on full display. Rest in peace and sleep warm Papa for you are forever in our hearts.
The family will receive their friends at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 301 North Main Street, Doylestown, PA 18901 on Friday, October 28, 2022 from 10:00-11:00 am, with a service to follow.
In lieu of flowers, Bill’s family has asked that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter, 399 Market Street, #250, Philadelphia, PA 19106 or www.alz.org/delval
Send condolences to www.varcoethomasfuneralhome.com
March 11, 1931 to October 21, 2022
William N. (“Bill”) Englehart, age 91, passed peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his loving wife Wilda M. (nee Warnick) and daughters Amanda Brown and Christi Tompkins at Elm Terrace Gardens in Lansdale, Pennsylvania early in the morning of October 21, 2022. Bill was preceded in death by both his parents Alvin C. and Josephine (nee Browning) and all of his siblings Theodore, Ruth (nee Hussey), Eloise (nee Critchfield) and Lois (nee McCarter).
Bill was born March 11, 1931 in Myersdale, Pennsylvania graduating from Meyersdale High School in 1949 where he was a standout basketball player. While Bill enjoyed his time on the basketball court, it was his love of music that led him to start a Drum & Bugle Corps at Meyersville High and later a jazz band where he regularly displayed his skills as a trumpet player.
After graduating from high school, Bill attended Gettysburg College. At the end of Bill’s first year, he left college to join his widowed mother Josephine to help run JM Cook Candy Co., the family business. Always the “apple of his mother’s eye” Bill’s love for and work with his mother forged early his work ethic, guided his character, made gentle his demeanor and made him the good man who would always put others first.
In 1962, Bill joined OM Scott & Sons where his sales and marketing expertise propelled him to national prominence in the lawn care business. With the support of his wife Wilda, Bill’s career with OM Scott & Sons took them to Naperville, Illinois, Columbus and Hudson, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania over his long career with the company. In the early 1980’s, Bill was recruited to join W. Atlee Burpee & Company as Chief Executive Officer which brought Bill and Wilda to their home in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. After a 12 year career with Burpee, Bill continued his passion for the lawn and seed business by acquiring two NaturaLawn of America franchises which Bill successfully led during his retirement years.
Beyond his stellar career in business, Bill was better known as a devoted husband to Wilda, a loving and kind father to his daughters Christi and Amanda and a model of character and integrity for his daughters as well as his five grandchildren. Bill’s love of family was never more apparent than when Bill and Wilda would host their grandchildren, Eric Tetzlaff (Amelia Mount), Patrick Brown (Theresa), Phillip Tetzlaff, Molly Dailey (Schulyer) and Abbie Kinney (Shaun) during the family’s annual summer vacation in Cape May, New Jersey, a nearly 40 year family tradition. Despite his declining health, Bill was overjoyed when he met his first great grandchild, Carter Nathan Kinney.
A man of deep faith, Bill routinely volunteered at his local church, serving as choir director in Pittsburgh; later in Doylestown where he took on key volunteer leadership roles at St. Paul Lutheran Church where he and Wilda faithfully attended for over 40 years. Active in his community, Bill served on the local YMCA Board and was also a Big Brother to several deserving young men in the local area. And to all who knew Bill, there was no bigger Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Well before the Steelers became Super Bowl Champions, Bill was a devoted fan who cheered for his team every Sunday with a bowl of popcorn on his lap. During football season, the only time Bill would step away from his beloved Steelers was when he joined Wilda on their annual trip to Maine to enjoy New England’s fall foliage. Perhaps it was fitting that Bill passed on a cool October morning, at the start of a sunny, blue sky day, with the autumn leaves on full display. Rest in peace and sleep warm Papa for you are forever in our hearts.
The family will receive their friends at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 301 North Main Street, Doylestown, PA 18901 on Friday, October 28, 2022 from 10:00-11:00 am, with a service to follow.
In lieu of flowers, Bill’s family has asked that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association Delaware Valley Chapter, 399 Market Street, #250, Philadelphia, PA 19106 or www.alz.org/delval
Send condolences to www.varcoethomasfuneralhome.com