John Douglas Bamforth, loving husband, father, grandfather
John Douglas Bamforth, 86, passed away peacefully Friday, April 25, 2025, at Bayhealth Medical Center in Milford. He was born Dec. 20, 1938, in Wayland, Mass., to Ethel and Charles Bamforth. He was the youngest among eight children in a large Bamforth Family that had 40 grandchildren. John raised his family in Watertown, Mass., before moving them to Indiana in 1978 and then to Georgetown in 1982, where he was the eastern regional plant manager at Coastal Stock Tab/CST Group at 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 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, he always had his own opinions.
John, also known as “Dad, Daddy, Grandpa, Grandfather, and Pop,” treasured the time he spent with family and friends, highlighted by gatherings at his home, better known as Sussex County Pig Roasts and endless weekend BBQs and bonfires. John was a great host, always making sure his family and guests had plenty of food and 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, and 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, 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 and Joey, as they grew up on the East Coast, as well as John III (Starla), Bryan (Savannah) and 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.
Enjoy an adult beverage (John’s favorite, Miller Lite) with your family in his honor.
Donations can be made in John’s name to the Alzheimer’s Foundation, alz.org.
