Wendell S. Storms

Wendell Smith Storms, 95, passed away peacefully on October 28, 2025, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his beloved wife of more than 70 years, Mildred Laura Storms (née Madigan); his four daughters, Barbara Baird (David) of Colorado, Susan Reade (John) of Oregon, Sally Nagy (John) of Indiana, and Amy Sable (Alan) of Pennsylvania; six cherished grandchildren - Ryan, Kent, John, Gabriella, Kelley, and Spencer; his sister, Carol Sizemore; and his brother, Charles Storms (Susan). Wendell was predeceased by his parents, John and Anna Storms (née Smith), and his sister, Priscilla Storms. Born on August 21, 1930, Wendell grew up in Hempstead, NY, and graduated from Hempstead High School in 1948. He earned a degree in ornamental horticulture from the State University of New York at Farmingdale, where he proudly played on the 1951 championship baseball team. Following college, Wendell served his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, from 1951 to 1953. He was a Morse code intercept operator with the Army Security Agency and was stationed in east Africa at Kagnew Station in Asmara, Eritrea. Rising to the rank of Corporal, his term of service was highlighted by meeting the then Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie, and being on duty when an encrypted Soviet message declaring that Stalin had died was intercepted by his unit. After his military service, Wendell returned to Long Island, where he soon met Mildred, the love of his life. They married and built a beautiful life together, raising their four daughters in Levittown, NY. From 1954 until 2017, Wendell owned and operated a successful landscape contracting business, a testament to his dedication and work ethic. Wendell was a creative man and that creativity found fertile ground in his landscape designs, his photographic endeavors, and his life-long passion for poetry. A keen observer of the world around him, he leaves behind a treasure trove of poems rooted in the ideals of peace, nature, family, community and love of country. Many of his poems were published in local Long Island publications, in books and in Newsday. Wendell won Newsday's 7th Annual Garden of Verses poetry contest in 2015 for his poem "The Injustice" which was a great honor and indicative of his talent as a poet. Wendell will be remembered for his unwavering love for family, his service to his country, his poetic and artistic endeavors and his lifelong passion for the outdoors. His legacy lives on in the hearts of all who knew him and in his landscape designs that grace communities all over Long Island.

Family will welcome friends on Tuesday, November 4th from 11:00am -12:15pm at Schellhaas & Sons Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Inc., 1600 Stone Mansion Drive, Sewickley, PA 15143 (Franklin Park/Sewickley), where a service will follow the visitation at 12:15pm. Service will be live streamed to https://www.facebook.com/Schellhaasfh/. Interment with full military honors will take place promptly at 2:00pm at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Bridgeville, PA.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Wendell's memory to The American Legion, Post 1711, 3123 N. Jerusalem Road, Levittown, NY 11756.