J. John (Sunny) Wycliffe's Obituary
Obituary
J. John (Sunny) Wycliffe, 79, of Frederick, MD passed at home on May 30, 2020 amongst his loved ones after suffering a cardiac arrest on May 16, 2020. He was born in Kerala, India to the late Pastor Japaganam and Rangabai John and was the eldest of his three siblings, Jasmine, Jayakumari and Jayaprakash.
John earned a B.Sc in Botany with minors in French, Chemistry and Zoology in 1964 and an M.A. in English Language and Literature in 1966 from University College, Trivandrum. In 1962, he married Tresa. John and Tresa began teaching in Lasalgaon SDA High School in Maharastra, India and returned to Kerala to earn their B.Ed degrees in English and Biology from the University of Kerala in 1969; they returned to teaching.
In 1973, John immigrated to the United States and was followed by his wife Tresa and children, Jason, Jeff, Jeena & Joy. John pursued additional graduate studies at the George Washington, Maryland, and Howard universities. In addition, he received his pilot’s license in India and subsequently became a member of the Civil Air Patrol for Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Until his retirement in 2008, John worked for the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. During and after his tenure, he was instrumental in coalescing multiple factions of national and international governments, organizations, and individuals for the betterment of all. His talent in public relations was far-reaching and touched Presidents, dignitaries, political leaders, and every person he encountered. Close to his heart were his SDA Church, Federation of Keralites in North America, and National Federation of Indians in America. He was known for his humility and genuine concern for all humanity.
A devoted husband, father and grandfather, John is survived by his wife; Tresa, children; Jason (Vimala), Jeff (Barbara), Jeena (Sanjeev) & Joy (Rebecca), grandchildren; Duncan, Rachel, Katherine, Meenah, Hannah, Kristina, Mayah, Sarah & Jefferson were his pride and joy. He is also survived by sister Jasmine and numerous nephews, nieces, and a host of relatives.
Viewing will take place from 9:30 – 10:30 AM on Thursday, June 4th at the Frederick Seventh-day Adventist Church, 6437 Jefferson Pike, Frederick, MD 21703, where a funeral service will be held from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM. Entombment will follow in the Chapel Mausoleum of Resthaven Memorial Gardens in Frederick. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks friends to provide a donation “in honor of John Wycliffe” to the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation.
Due to coronavirus the capacity in the church is limited. Please contact Jeff Wycliffe @ 240-882-3627 if you would like to attend the service.
Following is a link to view the live stream of the service:
https://vimeo.com/424619694/db3d4f27a4
To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.
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