John T. "Mike" Wolf

1921 - 2021

John T. "Mike" Wolf

Feb. 4, 1921 - Mar. 26, 2021

John Thomas "Mike: Wolf was born in Ajo, AZ, the son of Jackie and Virgil Williamson. He achieved a milestone: 100 years. Mike grew up in Long Beach, CA, where he enjoyed surf fishing and continued fishing with his buddies throughout most of his life. He was student body president at Long Beach City College when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He enlisted in the Navy and went on to become a naval aviator. After earning his wings he was assigned to the new VF-2 squadron, formed in 1943. Fighting 2 was one of the first squadrons to get the new Grumman F6F. The squadron left San Francisco for Pearl Harbor on Oct. 12, 1943. Mike was assigned to Lt. Cdr. Butch O'Hare's air group on the USS Enterprise in Nov. of 1943.

After flying the F6F on the USS Enterprise, VF-2 was transferred to the USS Hornet, where Mike fought the war from Mar. to Sept. 1944. During this time he attained Ace status with 7 confirmed kills and 2 probables. VF-2 had the most fighter aces of any squadron in American history. In May 2015 the American Fighter Aces were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington, D.C. In all combined wars there were only 1400 Aces. 17 of Mike's family members attended and observed this monumental event. It's noteworthy that there will be no more fighter aces because pilots don't engage in close one-on-one dogfights as they did in previous wars.

After the war Mike returned to Long Beach and started selling life insurance door to door, eventually opening his own estate planning business, Financial Planning, Inc., which he closed upon his retirement. A member of the Virginia Country Club, he played a lot of golf. The family joined the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, where they all learned to sail.

Mike had 2 daughters, Diane Quayle and Frances Crichton, with his then wife, Pauline Ruth. In 1969 Mike married Carol Ann Groves, and they celebrated 51 years of marriage in Dec. Upon his retirement, Mike and Carol moved to a small ranch in Ranchita, CA, where Mike learned to fly sailplanes. He never got over his love of flying. In 2002 Mike and Carol moved to Hansville, WA, to be near family. He was a lifelong avid reader and frequent visitor to the library. Unlike so many people in their 80's, Mike embraced technology. Using the internet, he learned about woodworking and eventually made their dining room table and hutch. During the last few years Mike enjoyed attending Navy League luncheons and Neighbors Luncheons at the Hansville Community Center. He also was an active participant in the Driftwood Key Veterans Day ceremony. Mike's military service and respect for those who served remained an important part of his life.

Although Mike was proud of his was service, he felt lucky to have survived and didn't feel special. He had been asked to defend his country, and he had a job to do. But the war shaped the man he became. He was hard-working, honest, and appreciative. Mike was above all else a man who loved his family. He was always so proud of his daughters, 5 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, and now 2 great great grandsons. Mike was also a man of great integrity, compassion and a great observer of people. He made friends wherever he went. He had great intuition and seemed to know when people needed a hug or helping hand. Being such a caring and loving person, he was a very integral part of the family that cannot be replaced.

It was Mike's wishes that his ashes be scattered over the waters of Puget Sound near his home in Hansville.