It is with great sorrow that the family of John Benson Wilbur III lets you know he is gone. He passed away
on September 28, 2024, at age 70.
He is loved and survived by his wife Margaret; his son, Sean, and his wife Rebecca (nee Stapleton); his son, Dan, and his wife Anya (nee Garrett); and his grandchildren, Gavin, Ella, Harper, and Kelly.
John was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He got a great professional start at Case University (where he met, at age 17, the young woman who would become his wife), and finished his education with a master’s degree in City Planning from MIT.
Starting at age 22, with his work for a fair housing realtor in Cleveland, John learned the most effective ways to deliver on the promise to make home ownership equitable. Quickly moving on to larger platforms, he launched into the management of the small but powerful Lutheran Housing Corporation (now Community Housing Solutions). It is here he became the face of a project that remained under his guidance for his entire career — the home weatherization program.
John cherished his position in the Cleveland Planning Department under our life-long friend Norm Krumholz, a man who over the years developed a cadre of incredibly talented people devoted to making life better in Cleveland. Working from both sides of the aisle at different times during his career, John delivered funds from East Ohio Gas to small non-profits, and later petitioned for those funds as the executive director of Ohio City Near West Development Corporation. Midway through his career, he found a stint as a member of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, a challenge he could not refuse. He worked for the City of Cleveland under several mayors, as far back as Dennis Kucinich and Mike White, and as recently as Jane Campbell and Frank Jackson. As a trusted member of Campbell and Jackson’s cabinets, he perfected his well-known ability to use diplomacy and compromise while still remaining passionate about his basic values.
Ever a champion for the disadvantaged and marginalized, John was unshakable in his efforts to find more choices for those who have few.
Despite his passion for all of the above, John considered his most rewarding calling to be that of a father and grandfather. He shepherded two wonderful children into the world. He induced in them and in their friends a love of books and music.
And he introduced them to the haven that is Chautauqua Institution. He urged the kids to “try out the music at tonight’s performance” — and to their surprise, they were dancing and clapping in the front row all evening! And dancing and bowing under the crystal ball to a modern version of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.
It was just a few weeks ago that he was encouraging Gavin in his new business, cheering for Ella and her volleyball team, and playing hide and seek and board games with Harper and Kelly.
A memorial is in the planning stages for one of many places in Cleveland that John loved. He will reside in Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in his name to: Community Housing Solutions, 1967 W. 45th Street, Cleveland, OH 44102 or to Bard Prison Initiative, PO Box 5000 Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-5000.
Troutman Funeral Home is serving the family.