Charles A. Mendola, loved time at Pot-Nets
Charles A. “Woody” Mendola, 76, of Wilmington, passed away peacefully at his residence Friday, Feb. 18, 2011.
Born in Pittston, Pa., July 4, 1934, to Charles and Thelma Mendola, he was married to his high school sweetheart and soul mate Bernice (Winslow) Mendola for 55 years. Before moving to Wilmington in 1957, he was employed by Chain and Cable Co. In Delaware, Woody was a breadman, worked as a laborer at Eastern Auto, owned and operated an amusement-ride company, and he was employed by Del Rel as the general manager of the rail yard and later as the vice president. He then started C&M Service Co., which provided trucking services at Chrysler and GM; and also C&M Service Inc., which handled the importation and distribution of Fiats and Ferraris from Italy at the Port of Wilmington. Woody retired in 1996.
In his youth, Woody was the Wilkes Barre-Scranton Golden Gloves champion, and he moved to New York City to pursue a professional boxing career, where he fought at Madison Square Garden. He was an original parishioner of St. Catherine of Siena Church. His favorite pastimes were fishing and lawn cutting. Other interests included hunting, playing cards, spending many summers at Pot-Nets, attending his grandchildren’s sporting events, vacationing in Marco Island, Fla., and fishing up the river with his brother Sam and friend Chubby.
In addition to his wife, Woody is survived by his sons and their wives Ron and Cindy, and Chuck and Keva of Hockessin, and Mark and Julie of Newark; his beloved grandchildren - Pam Dorman, Kathy Cunningham, and Tom and Mike Mendola; his brother Sam Mendola; sister Carrie Guzenski, both of Pittston, Pa.; as well as many brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; and numerous friends with whom he enjoyed spending time.
Visitation for family and friends will be from 6 to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 22, at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Wilmington. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 23, at St. Catherine, followed by burial at All Saint’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to St. Catherine of Siena Church, 2503 Centreville Road, Wilmington, DE 19808.
