John Leon Wix, 94

HARRINGTON - John Leon Wix, of Harrington, died peacefully at the Delaware Hospice Center, Milford, Sunday, March 15, 2009. He was 94. He was born in Harrington, one of 13 children born to the late Norman and Nettie Wix Sr. Mr. Wix worked on the railroad. He started with the Pennsylvania Railroad and completed his career with Conrail. He started as a brakeman and worked his way up to a conductor. His work was so valuable, that even though he wanted to enlist and go to war, he was denied because they needed his service on the railroad more. In his spare time, Mr. Wix played baseball. He was even inducted into the Baseball Amateur Hall of Fame. He loved to tell his baseball stories to all that would listen, and he played ball until his 60s. After that, he started coaching baseball and mentoring others. Another passion was fox hunting. Along with two brothers, they started the Fox Hunters Club of Vernon, where he continued to be very active in. They even had a story published about the Wix Brothers in a fox hunting magazine. He won several trophies for the fox hunting dog trials, and hunted up to the age of 94. Mr. Wix was a charter member of the Pilgrim Chapel, and donated quite a bit of money towards its building, Harrington Senior Center, lifetime member of the Harrington Moose lodge 534, and the Vernon Fox Hunters Club. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Elizabeth Sedgewick Wix; his second wife, Mary Ellen Bradley Wix; son, Roger Wix; daughter, Rosalie Voies; two grandchildren, Mark Wix and Chucky Voies He is survived by a son, Allen K. Wix of Seaford; daughter, Betty Lyons of Greenwood; step-daughters, Sharon Workman of Milford and Elizabeth Morris of Chestertown, Md.; brother, Norman "Junior" Wix Jr. of Whiteleysburg, Md.; grandchildren, Tina Lyons, Rob Wix, Jill Wix, Mary Lou Voies, Kenny Wix; great-grandchildren, Trey, Erin, Liam, Robert, Nicole, Victoria, Joseph Wix. Graveside service will be 11 a.m. Friday in Hollywood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to the Pilgrim Chapel, 4792 Milford Harrington Hwy., Harrington, DE 19952. Arrangements are by the Melvin Funeral Home, Harrington.