John Kuniholm, of Greenville, Delaware passed away of Alzheimers disease and Covid-19 on January 24, 2022 at the age of 94.
A native of Gardner, Massachusetts he was born in 1928, the eldest son of W. Gardner and Esther Kuniholm. He was predeceased by his brother, Paul Kuniholm of Hingham, MA. John was deeply proud of his small town roots where he was an Eagle Scout and graduated from Gardner High School in 1946. He was also proud of his Finnish-Swedish heritage and spent many years documenting the family genealogy.
John received a bachelor’s degree in History from his beloved Amherst College in 1950 and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1953. He received a grant to attend NYU Law School where he obtained a Master of Laws degree. In 1954, he married Margot Alice Herring, daughter of H. Walton and Marguerite Herring of New Canaan, CT. Soon after they were married, John was drafted and served in the US Army Counterintelligence Corps and was stationed at the Pentagon where he wore civilian clothes and his rank was classified. In 1956, he and Margot moved to Wilmington, Delaware where he joined the law department of Hercules Powder Company where he practiced law until he retired as Assistant General Counsel in 1992. His career at Hercules included many trips to Asia and Europe. He was known as a valued mentor to younger lawyers and relished the role of trusted advisor and friend.
After John retired, he volunteered for Delaware Hospice. He and Margot were season ticket holders to the Wilmington Symphony, which they enjoyed with a group of their friends. He was a shareholder and board member of the Island Inn Company, Sanibel Island, FL and a longtime member of Christ Church, Wilmington Country Club and the Bakers Beach Club in Westport Point, MA where his family spent every August for more than 60 years. He was also a dedicated member of the New England Genealogical Society. Though he lived in the mid-Atlantic for most of his life, New England was always close to his heart.
John was a true intellectual who was a voracious reader and loved a good debate. When other men were watching football on Sunday afternoon, he would be found reading the New York Times while listening to the opera. He played a repertoire of classical music on the piano and enjoyed singing in the chorus at Stonegates. In the summer months, his vegetable garden was a source of great pleasure to him and he loved riding around his property in Chadds Ford on his tractor. He took great joy in the outdoors whether he was fishing, walking or combing the beach for seashells on Sanibel Island. He enjoyed sharing all of these experiences with his children and grandchildren. His grandchildren remember fondly digging for worms in the garden to use as bait for fishing in the backyard pond. The consummate family man, John was most proud of his children, encouraging each of them to pursue their goals and dreams. He was always a gentleman, holding doors and dressing in a collared shirt.
John is survived by his wife, Margot, of 67 years and four children: Thomas Kuniholm (Terry Siebert) of Bainbridge Island, WA; Julie Weaver (John) of Wellsboro, PA; Nancy Aronhalt of Glen Mills, PA; and Wendy Sullivan (JB) of Yarmouth, Maine. He has 12 grandchildren: Sam and Isabel Kuniholm, Andrew and Sophie Weaver, Todd, Nina (Blum), Holly, and MacKenzie Aronhalt, and Aidan, Thomas, Lydia, and John Gibbs Sullivan. He also has one great-grandchild, Madalyn Weaver.
Margot and her family are eternally grateful to the staff at Stonegates, especially Jessica, Heather and Marie for their love and compassion (“for Papa John”).
Condolences
Thank You
Your online condolence will appear once approved by our site administrator.