John Brame Witmer, active in community

John Brame Witmer, 77, of Rehoboth Beach and Philadelphia, Pa., died unexpectedly of heart failure Monday, Oct. 10, 2022.  He was born March 16, 1945, in Lancaster, Pa.  He attended Franklin and Marshall College and graduated with a degree in business administration in 1967, followed by a master of business administration from Widener University.  He worked as a banker in trust administration for 35 years, and also held positions as director of planned giving for the American Cancer Society and director of development at the Salt Lake City Art Center.  He retired in 2010 and was active to the end, enjoying hiking and biking.  He was a volunteer for the Rehoboth Beach Historical Society and Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University, he was a skilled trombonist in Rehoboth Community Band, and he held leadership positions at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Rehoboth Beach.  

 

He is survived by his beloved wife, Jean; his daughters, Julia Tiernan and Natalie Wallace; his son, Thomas Swift; and his nine grandchildren. 

 

A memorial service celebrating John's life will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19, at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 301 King Charles Ave., Rehoboth Beach.

 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in John’s memory to The Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University, ansp.org/get-involved/support/donate; or Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, giving.jefferson.edu/giving-guide/hospitals/tjuh.html, where John was so grateful for his caring and skilled physicians.