GREENWOOD - Vernon Zehr Jr., of Greenwood, formerly of Wilmington, passed away on Oct. 16, 2011, at the Country Rest Home in Greenwood. He was 77. Vernon was born on March 2, 1934, the son of the late Vernon and Verna Schrock Zehr. Vernon graduated from Eastern Mennonite Seminary in 1958 and the University of Delaware with a Masters degree in Elementary and Special education in 1969. In 1959, he was named pastor of First Mennonite church on Washington Street in Wilmington, Delaware where he served for 12 years. He was the principal of the Richardson Park Elementary school, and later served as principal of Meadowwood Special Education School until he retired in 1997. He also served on the board of the Sunday Breakfast Mission for homeless men in Wilmington Delaware for 30 years and post retirement worked as a counselor at the mission. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Freda Wert Zehr; four children, D. Jay Zehr and wife, Vaunda, of Harrisonburg Va., Kathleen Zehr Nussbaum and husband Phil of Richmond, Va., Vernon Jon Zehr of Wilmington Delaware and Andrea Zehr Meredith and her husband, Benjamin, of Harrisonburg, Va.; five grandsons, Nevin Zehr, Zachary and Jacob Nussbaum, and Dax and Cade Meredith; one brother and seven sisters, Robert Zehr, Angeline Solway, Phyllis Ezard, Violet Swartzentruber, Edith Gehman, Joyce Maust, Alma Bergy, and Esther Clemens. Funeral service will be 2 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, at Greenwood Mennonite Church, 12525 Shawnee Rd., Greenwood. Viewing will be at the church Wednesday evening 6 to 8 p.m. and one hour prior to the funeral on Thursday. Arrangements by Fleischauer Funeral Home, 16 West Market Street, Greenwood.