John Thoden Sr. 80, of Frederica, died Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2008 in Bayhealth-Kent General Hospital, Dover.

    Born Sept. 21, 1927, in Brooklyn, N.Y., Mr. Thoden was the son of the late John Thoden and Elsie M. Donath Thoden.

    He earned a degree in business management from Rutgers University, Camden, N.J., while living in Vineland, N.J.

    Mr. Thoden was a veteran of World War II, retiring in 1966 with the rank of chief warrant officer. He had worked for the Kontes Glass Co. in Vineland, then at Wheaton Industries in Millville, N.J. He retired from Melitta Inc., in Cherry Hill, N.J., in 1992 as a plant manager.

    He was a member of the St. Andrews Evangelical Church, Dover, Union Lodge No. 7, Dover and the American Legion Post No. 3 in Milford. He also was a Royal Arch Mason and a Knights Templar in Vineland, a Boy Scout and scoutmaster of Troop No. 4 in Vineland and taught Sunday school in Vineland.

    Mr. Thoden is survived by his wife of 22 years, Christine Thoden of Frederica; two sons, John Thoden of Quinlan, Texas, and William Thoden of Millville; two grandchildren, Lucy and William; a great-grandson, Ryan; two stepdaughters, Christine Storey of Audubon, N.J., and Rita Friel of Cherry Hill; a stepbrother, Donald Burdick of Georgia; and a stepsister, June Falco of Aberdeen, N.J.

    Interment will be in the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Bear.

    Letters of condolence may be sent and the guestbook signed at www.torbertfuneral.com.