John A. Wannemacher

John A. Wannemacher, age 91, of Troy, OH passed away on September 22, 2026. He was born on March 5, 1935 in Celina, OH to the late Linus A. and Luella Marie “Pat” (Bollenbacher) Wannemacher.

He is survived by his wife: Sally A. (Cook) Conley Wannemacher and his three children: Andrew Wannemacher of Troy, William Wannemacher of Newport KY and Katherine (Jeffrey) Banker of Columbus. John has five grandchildren: Margaret, Eleanor, Elizabeth and Jack Wannemacher and J. Reid Banker. John is also survived by his two sisters: MaryAnn (Dale) Guingrich of Celina and Susan Kemper of Marion. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife of 46 years: Barbara Elizabeth (Turner) Wannemacher, formerly of Richmond, IN.

John attended high school at Immaculate Conception in Celina and was a graduate of the University of Dayton and the Chase Law School in Cincinnati. He proudly served his country as a Lieutenant Junior Grade in the United States Navy. He practiced law in Troy for many years, having been associated with Lefevre, Foster Wannemacher and Baer, before creating the firm of Dungan and LeFevre. As an attorney, John had a general law practice, with a focus in estate and business planning and was a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Miami County Bar Association.

He was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, and the Troy Rotary Club. He was very involved in the community, having served on numerous nonprofit boards over the years, including RT Industries, Isaiah’s Place but especially the Miami County Park Board, where he served on the board for 45 years, most of the time as president. During his tenure the Park District grew from 5 acres to over 2,000 acres, adding 14 additional parks and 80 staff members.

In recognition of his service, John was named the Citizen of the Year by the Ohio Parks and Recreation Association in 2012 and the Troy Area Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizen in 2017. In 2009, the Miami County Park District dedicated a 110 acre park after him, called the John A. Wannemacher Nature Reserve.

Outside of his professional and community service, John was an avid University of Dayton Basketball fan. He looked forward to annual fishing trips on Lake Erie and especially enjoyed traveling and spending time with his family. His family, friendships, and the Troy community remained important to him throughout his life.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Monday, October 5th at St. Patrick Catholic Church, Troy with interment to follow in Riverside Cemetery in Troy. The family will receive friends from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM on Sunday, October 4th at Baird Funeral Home in Troy.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Miami County Park District, 2645 East State Route 41, Troy, OH 45373. Condolences may be expressed to the family through www.bairdfuneralhome.com.