I think I first met him in my parents’ living room circa 1964. I would have been thirteen at the time. He was running for a spot on New Castle County Levy Court, and I remember him saying he was ‘running to get rid of my job’. Meaning, running to seek a different kind of government for New Castle County. He succeeded.
I remember him leading the efforts to get rid of the corrupt Gene Reed machine in New Castle County. He succeeded. Here is his obituary:
https://www.delawareonline.com/obituaries/pdov1053662
While I know that he evokes strong feelings among people in the Democratic Party, I remember him as that reformer back in the sixties and into the early eighties.
Sure, we clashed from time to time. John had strong beliefs and didn’t hesitate to defend what he believed in.
But he was a true reformer in his earlier days, and he did a lot on behalf of New Castle County and the Delaware Democratic Party.
Accordingly, I would request that responses to this thread be respectful of John and his family. I, for one, express my condolences to his family. He was truly an unforgettable person and I will miss him.