John David Wade, Sr.

John David Wade was born on September 3, 1935 in Alliance, Ohio to David Giarth Wade and his wife Alice Catherine. He had two, much older, brothers, Richard (Dick) and James (Jimmy) who doted on their new baby brother. The family relocated to Washington D.C. when John was very young. The house in which he grew up and the surrounding block in downtown D.C., near the White House, has since been replaced by a large hotel. His teenage years were spent in Indian Head, Maryland where he lived with one of his brothers, who at the time was the local sheriff. He met his high school sweetheart and future wife, Barbara Ann Knott, in the small tight-knit community. Once graduating from high school, with a very small graduating class of less than twenty, John married Barbara, enrolled in the United States Air Force, and the new couple started their grand adventure together in nearby Delaware when John was assigned to Dover Air Force Base. Their first home together was affectionately called "The Trailer," pictures of which still exist today. While in Delaware, John and his wife started their family, first with a daughter, Margaret Alice, soon followed by John David, Jr. After serving four years with the Air Force in nearby Delaware, it was time to come back to Maryland and put down roots a little closer to friends and family. The two remaining children were born in Maryland, another daughter to cherish and love, Cheryl Ann and a son, Richard Rudolph, named in honor of John's recently deceased brother. The family found a house in the newly developed suburban community of Bowie, and never left. John and Barbara also opened their home and hearts to 27 foster children, two of whom they eventually adopted. To this day, all of the grown Wade children (and some of the grandchildren) still think of this house as home, a place where they are always welcome. This is where John spent his last days, as did Barbara, just two short years ago. John worked for many years at the Naval Surface Weapons Center in White Oak. He was also in the National Guard. He was an early member of the Masonic Collington Lodge No. 230 of the A.F. & A.M. where he was an officer and active member for many years. He was very proud of his Masonic heritage and strove to pass it on to his sons. One of his passions was for building and flying model aircraft. Over the years, John has built probably hundreds of airplanes, for himself and, more generously, for others. At the local club, Prince George's Radio Control (PGRC), he spent numerous hours patiently teaching countless people how to fly these little wonders, including his son Richard and oldest grandson, Danny Lee. At one point in time, he could be found out at the airplane field on a daily basis: meeting with friends, tinkering with the planes while the wives sat in the shade and talked, and, of course, flying. Over the years, the daily visits decreased to weekly, as the tight circle of friends began to disperse. In recent years, John rarely went to the airfield and the planes sat unused, some unbuilt. The old guard has been completely changed over for the young upstarts and John rarely saw a familiar face at the airfield on the rare occasions that he did go. My hope for him is that he and his buddies are soaring once again, and now the wives are soaring right along with them!