A tribute to George Wolf

By Mary Regina Wolf

My dad was a gentleman who lived his beliefs. He was a quiet, gentleperson. He was never seen to yell, and I never saw him angry.

After high school, he went to Maryknoll in Clarks Summit, PA where he began his life as a seminarian. The trees he planted around the lake are still there, although it is now the Baptist Bible College. After Maryknoll, he completed his college degree at Fordham University. From there, he went to an island off the coast of Hong Kong where he assisted Trappist Monks in the rebuilding of a monastery.

He then began his career at Catholic Relief Services, where he directed the relief programs in Malaysia and Pakistan, assisting in the feeding of millions of people.

Mom and Dad were married in Viet Nam in 1958, where mom had also been working for Catholic Relief Services.

In Malaysia, he continued doing relief work and the four children were born. Two more children, twins, were born in Holland on the way home to the United States.

Dad continued to work for Catholic Relief Services in NYC, raising funds for projects around the world. We lived in Rutherford, NJ and dad commuted every day to the city. Sarah, the youngest daughter, was also born.

During this time, Dad felt the stress of the commute and he and mom decided to make a change. They opened up The Inn of the Spirit, a conference center/retreat house in Yulan, NY. For 29 years, Mom and Dad and the seven children have welcomed thousands of people into their home for various retreats and conferences. They lived simply. They gave of themselves to others. They offered a place for groups of people to run their own programs. Many people throughout the country have benefited from the use of The Inn.

Dad was a man who did not express his feelings, but showed by actions how to be a good person. He showed how to be kind and considerate of others. He was not the type of father who helped coach little league or went to all of his childrens’ sports games. But he did give to his children the concept of world peace through his actions. He made sure that others, had before taking for himself. He never raised his voice to his children. He followed what he believed was his faith. He knew of the world and the problems of the world on a global level.

Who was George Wolf? I look into my siblings’ eyes and know who my father was. He was a kind and gentle person and gave to others, never expecting anything in return. He was my dad.

[Mary Regina Wolf, of Scranton, PA, is the oldest daughter of George and Jeanne Wolf, who ran Inn of the Spirit Washington Lake. George Wolf died on April 9, 2001.]