John William Wells

Capt. John William Wells (Retired, U.S. Navy), aged 89, an Arkadelphia native, died Sept. 8 at Baltimore. He was the younger son of the late former Clark County Judge George H. and Modina Wells. He married the former Miriam (Mickey) Rommal of Baltimore in 1947 after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md., and they had two children, Patricia Wells Larkin of Sparkes, Md., and John Christopher Wells of King of Prussia, Pa. All survive him. Other survivors include three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, George H. Wells Jr. of Hot Springs, a sister, Mildred, who died in childhood, and a step-brother, D.W. (Dub) Wells of Sheridan. He graduated from Arkadelphia High School and attended the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville for a year before being appointed to the Naval Academy. Capt. Wells was a veteran of 26 years in the Navy. After he retired, he worked in the Virginia public school system. He was a Catholic and a long-time member of the Lions Club. Services will be at 10:30 a.m., Friday at Our Lady of Angels Church in Charlestown, Md., with burial at the Naval Academy cemetery at 1 p.m. that day. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the Lions of York County, 114 Jethro Lane, Yorktown, Va. 23692. Funeral arrangements are by Sterling-Ashton-Schwab-Witzke Funeral Home of Catonsville, Md. Sign the online guestbook at sterlingashtonschwabwitzki.com.