Yellow legal pads. Chapstick. Two-dollar bills. These are just a few of the things that will forever remind us of Kenneth (a.k.a. Kenny, Ken, Dad, Popper) James Wolfe, who passed away at the Good Samaritan Hospital on April 28, 2026, much to the devastation of his wife, children, grandchildren, friends, and former students.
Ken was born on May 1, 1939, in Suedberg, PA, to the late Clayton and Mary (Daubert) Wolfe. The youngest of three children, he was the last to go, joining his beloved older sister, Hilda Light, and brother, Walter “Buddy” Wolfe, who once convinced a young Kenny to run down the road with him after snatching their school driver’s keys from her car when she wouldn’t stop at their house, even though they were the only ones nearby. No people, animals, or mailboxes were harmed during this escapade.
As Ken grew up, he would find fame and fortune by being inducted into the Suedberg Mets Hall of Fame. (While we only just heard about this when our mother showed the plaque to us, we’re very sure it’s a big deal in Suedberg, especially among the Suedberg Mets.) He also learned to play cards — something he’d still enjoy many years later with his grandkids — including the Suedberg Shuffle, which defies description but was truly something to behold.
In high school, Ken was voted best looking and nicest hair (an irony that would not be lost on him as he started losing most of it in his 20s). He played football until a knee injury sidelined him. After graduation, he went on to East Stroudsburg University (62), where he met great friends that he would keep for decades. Three of them cozily drove across the country in a small convertible, and then two hitchhiked back. That trip would later translate into Ken’s extensive travels with his wife. Together, they enjoyed planning many family vacations and bus trips that took them all across the country and the world. But as much as he loved travel, he loved being home — and with his dogs — even more.
After graduating with his teaching degree, he became a reading teacher in the Northern Lebanon School District, where he would spend his entire career. At Northern Lebanon, he impacted countless lives. He particularly focused his work on helping students who were disadvantaged. Many times over the years, we would meet a former student who would tell us how much our dad changed their lives by teaching them how to read — and what better gift could any man give someone than that?
Ken eventually became the reading supervisor for the entire district, where he went on to win a national award for his innovative reading program. Outside of the school day, he had a lot of fun and made many memories coaching basketball for the district, where several of the teams he coached went on to win Section III championships. He also coached Little League for the Fredericksburg Youth Athletic Association and local CYO.
However, the most important thing that happened to Ken while he was at NL (and yes, we are biased) is that he met his best friend for life, his wife, Sandra (Juran). In July, they would have​ been married for 59 years. Their early dating time was marked by such adventures as buying bags of coins and sitting in Sandra’s parents’ house sorting through them.
After they married, Ken and Sandra had many adventures, most notably having four children, Ken Jr., Tara, Ruston, and Natalie (who would later be joined by Jill (Hoffer), Ryan Bowersox, Amy (Hollenbacher), and Matt (Duvall)). While raising those beautiful, smart, and witty kids, Ken went on to get his master’s degree from Kutztown University. He took a sabbatical year to do this, and to also be a stay-at-home dad to Kenny. During that time, he used his ingenuity to solve modern parenting problems like taping all the drawers shut so Kenny couldn’t get in them.
After Tara came along, Ken and Sandra bought the land they would go on to call Timberwolfe Farm, which he loved so very much. For many years, they raised sheep and had a large garden where the kids would eat grapes right off the vine and pick rocks for a wage of 10 cents a bucket.
In his mid-life years, Ken grew to bear a striking resemblance to Sean Connery, and every now and then would give that name when going out for dinner with the kids. (He also didn’t correct that one family who saw him in Olive Garden and thought he really was Sean Connery.)
Retiring from NL, he didn’t give up working. He drove a school bus for many years until Sandra retired and also earned his real estate license. He was an avid collector of many things and enjoyed cataloging and organizing his collections. He loved riding on his lawn mower, doing yard work, and tending his garden boxes alongside Sandra. He grew apple, pear, and cherry trees throughout the years, and loved eating those fruits and pretending the cherry pits were his teeth when he smiled.
Through all of these amazing life experiences, Ken would tell you he was proudest of his grandchildren, Jacob, Clayton, Isaac, Zane, Rhett, Megan, Wolfe, Ryandale, Hawthorne, Tennyson, Millay, and Malcolm. Ken attended as many of their games, concerts, and ceremonies as his busy schedule would allow. In turn, his grandchildren grew to know him as a great artist, who hid small cartoon figures in all of their birthday cards.
Starting in the fall of 1990, and continuing right up until he passed, Ken wrote weekly letters to his college-aged kids and then grandkids. In these letters, he would send updates on life back on Timberwolfe Farm. He’d also include cash and a single piece of gum, which was always quite hard by the time it made it through the mail.
After reading this obituary, you might smile and say “That was a long and well-lived life.” We must tell you that while it was certainly well-lived, it was definitely not long enough. There were still more two-dollar bills to pass out. Still more chapstick tubes to abandon atop his dresser. And still many, many more letters and drawings to be mailed to grandchildren on that yellow legal paper.
Please join us as we celebrate Ken’s life on Monday, May 11, at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Annville, PA. Visitation will occur from 2:30-4 p.m., followed by a Funeral Mass. We hope you’ll stay with us after the service for a time of fellowship and food — two of Ken’s favorite things.
A private family interment will occur at a later date.
Thompson Funeral Home Inc. is entrusted with the arrangements. The family welcomes your memories and messages in Thompson Funeral Home’s online guest book at thompsonfuneralhomelebanon.com.
