Joseph Daniel Wolf

Joseph Daniel Wolf, age 76, died January 10, 2024 at his home in Stewartstown following a six-month battle with cancer. He was the husband of Connie L. (Gemmill) Wolf, who he married on November 1, 1969 in New Park, and with whom he recently celebrated 54 years of matrimony. There will be a memorial service at 1pm on Sunday, February 4 at the Stewartstown United Methodist Church, 26 S. Main Street. The Reverend Dr. Keith Braucher is officiating. The service will be followed by a reception at the Eureka Volunteer Fire Company in Stewartstown. Arrangements are by Hartenstein Funeral & Cremation Care.

Dan was born the second oldest of six children on February 21, 1947 in Hopewell Township, York County, to the late George H. and Hazel A. (Anderson) Wolf. He attended Kennard Dale High School and helped tend the family farm during his youth. Dan attended Franklin and Marshall College for one year, during which he was a tenor in the glee club. He completed his BS in General Agriculture at The Pennsylvania State University and worked in local restaurants to fund his education at both locations. He returned to join his siblings at the family farm in 1969.

Dan became a life-long farmer and, alongside his brothers and sisters, grew Wolf Farms to more than 2,500 acres over a 50-year career. They received the Farm Family of the Year award from the Pennsylvania State Legislature in 2006 for conservation, clean water, and crop yields, and the Chesapeake Basin Clean Water Farm Award in 2022. Dan considered mentoring others and growing the farming profession a personal responsibility. He was a First Union Bank Agriculture board member, was elected to the York County Farm Service Agency Committee as vice chairperson or chairperson for a total of nine years and was a York County Conservation District board member for 24 years, serving the farming community.

George C. Marshall said, “There’s no limit to the good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.” Dan exemplified this throughout his life, as a strong supporter of the Stewartstown United Methodist Church for over 50 years, and a member of the choir for many years. He also sang with the York Symphony Chorus, bringing his musical talents to a larger audience. Dan was passionate about education and helped raise funds for the Mason-Dixon Public Library’s new home, along with installing landscaping for its second decade. Dan also contributed annually to 18 local charities and invested his time and talents for five years as treasurer of Just 4 Today, an organization helping people recover from substance abuse. In his later years, Dan delivered Wolf Farms sweet corn to nearly 100 neighbors, friends, and family members each summer. His kindness as a humble servant knew no bounds.

Dan enjoyed music, architecture, reading and traveling. A supporter of the Arts, he and Connie travelled throughout the Northeast to band, symphony, and organ concerts, while also enjoying local performing groups. They frequented the Smithsonian Institution, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Visiting Europe, Mexico, Canada and Brazil with good friends provided fond memories, while visiting their sons and their families in various states was a passion. Dan created so many great memories. Through his actions and by his example, he taught his children and grandchildren the importance of a quality education, and the value of hard work and integrity.

In addition to his wife, Connie, Dan is survived by two children: Jason and his wife Kari of Houston; and Justin and his wife Katya of Dallas; and two grandchildren, Kathryn and Davis, also residing in Texas. He is also survived by his siblings: David and his wife Judy, Stephen, Susan and her husband Bill Herbert, and Ginger and her husband Randy Babcock; as well as 12 nieces and nephews. Dan was preceded in death by his parents George and Hazel, his brother Jim, brother-in-law Tom Gemmill and sister-in-law Robin Wolf.

Dan’s family is grateful for the tremendous support provided by family and friends, the heartfelt care provided by the Wellspan staff, Marilyn of Amedisys Home Health Care, and Roxana of Deanie Taylor King Personalized Home Care.

In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions may be made to the Mason-Dixon Public Library, the Eureka Volunteer Fire Company, and the York Symphony Orchestra.