John Douglas Bamforth

John Douglas Bamforth, aged 86, passed away peacefully on April 25th, 2025 at Bayhealth Medical Center in Milford. He was born on December 20, 1938, in Wayland, MA, to Ethel & Charles Bamforth and was the youngest among eight children in a large Bamforth Family that had 40 grandchildren. John raised his family in Watertown, MA before moving them to Indiana in 1978 and then to Georgetown, DE in 1982 where he was the Eastern Regional Plant Manager at Coastal Stock Tab/CST Group located at the Georgetown Industrial Park. Following his retirement in 1993, John met many of his close friends while working at the Lighthouse Restaurant, Del-tech Lighthouse Cove, Old Landing Golf Course and the Lewes Yacht Club. John loved going to work and was nicknamed “The Burger Nazi” at the Lighthouse, a place where his customers were his favorite as he called out their order number “fauty-faw” with his trademark Boston accent echoing down the Lewes Canal. John loved to exchange stories with his customers from New England and of course always had his own opinions.

John, also known as “Dad, Daddy, Grandpa, Grandfather and Pop treasured the time he spent with family & friends highlighted by gatherings at his home better known as Sussex County Pig Roasts and endless weekend BBQ’s & bonfires. John was a great host, always making sure his family and guests had plenty of food & drink and enjoyed themselves. In most cases, John was the life of the party. He was a sports fan of all Boston teams including the Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox & his favorite team the Patriots. Even during John’s decline, the past few years with dementia and then Alzheimer’s, you would rarely see him without his New England Patriots hat in which he cherished.

John is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Ann, who was always at his side; his children, Tim (Monique) of Lewes, Heather (Joe) of Milford, and Chris of Georgetown. John is also survived by his older sister Bonnie Quartermain of Arizona. John loved spending time and attending all the sports and activities of his grandchildren Jake, Ben, Bella & Joey as they grew up on the east coast as well as John III (Starla), Bryan (Savannah) & Scott (Kendra) on the west coast. John was also proud of his nine great grandchildren.

John was predeceased by his first wife Judith, his infant son Martin, and his son John Jr. (Liz).

A small gathering with his family to celebrate his life will be planned at a later date. Please enjoy an adult beverage (John’s favorite Miller Lite) with your family in his honor. Donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation in John’s name at Alz.org.