John Woodruff Maffay

On the morning of April 30th, John Woodruff Maffay passed from this earth. Steadfast and strong, and a man of great faith, he raised five children with his beloved wife, the late Elizabeth K. Maffay. John had a lengthy and successful career as a sales executive at Xerox Corporation; later he served as vice president of Zeroid Corporation. There was always time for travel, with many international trips for work and leisure.

John was deeply involved in his community, Greenbelt, Maryland. A “pioneer child”, his family moved in when Greenbelt was at its start. John (Jack) dove into sports, scouts and his church; he was a popular young man. After meeting a beautiful German girl at the Park College Diner and marrying her soon after, John increased his civic activity and became a pillar of his community. He served as president of the Lion’s Club, President of Twin Pines Savings and Loan, a member of the Labor Day Festival committee, a member of the Greenbelt American Legion and the Knights of Columbus. In his later years he served as a docent at the Greenbelt Museum.

John was an exceptional husband to Elizabeth, staying loyally by her side with devotion for 10 years after her debilitating stroke. They renewed their wedding vows on their 60th anniversary in the last year of her life. He was a father filled with advice and love. A hug from dad was a lovely treat and he delighted in hearing about everyone’s day. He was “Opa” to his grandchildren, attending talent shows, baseball games, recitals, plays, soccer matches and regattas to support his dear grandchildren.

He will be missed and loved forever by his five children, Doris Freemyer (Denny), Jonathan (Chabe), Julie Erickson (Doug), Russell and Sheila Maffay-Tuthill (David) as well as six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He is also survived by two loving sisters, Linda “Jill” Clark and Laurie Beynon.

Donations in his name may be made to the Food Pantry at St. Hugh’s.

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