John Victor Wiberg, talented artist, minister
John Victor Wiberg, 86, of Rehoboth Beach passed away Thursday, March 21, 2019, at his home. He was born June 3, 1932, in Wilmington, son of the late Harry E. and Eva Wiberg.
Mr. Wiberg was an ordained Baptist minister for the majority of his adult life. He also worked in human resources for Potsdam State University in New York and Bristol College in Fall River, Mass. Mr. Wiberg was a talented artist who specialized in oil and watercolor painting. In his retirement, he cultivated and honed his skills, becoming well known for his paintings of seascapes. Mr. Wiberg was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church in Lewes, and was active in their choir. An avid surf-fisherman, he enjoyed time on the beach, casting a line at every opportunity. Above all, Mr. Wiberg cherished time spent with his beloved family and friends. He was loved by many and will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Mr. Wiberg was a graduate of The University of Delaware, Bethel Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., and holds a graduate degree from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pa. As a child, he attended classes at the Delaware Museum of Art, where he came in contact with the work of Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth and Frank Schoonover, his boyhood heroes.
Jack studied privately with H. Sylva Fernandez of New Bedford, Mass. He also attended workshops with Charles Vickery, James lams, as well as Dennis Pannent and Roger Dellar from Great Britain.
Jack has been the featured artist in the Somerset, Mass. Historical Society, Bristol Community College Gallery in Fall River, and the Artworks Gallery in New Bedford. Jack had solo exhibitions in the Venture Gallery of The Rehoboth Art League, the Peninsula Gallery in Lewes, and the Gallery at Grace Church in Wilmington. Jack's work has appeared in regional exhibitions of the American Society of Marine Artists and in national exhibitions of the International Society of Marine Painters.
His work has been shown in the Coos Bay Art Museum, Coos Bay, Ore., and the Maritime Exhibition in the Maritime Museum in Oxnard, Calif. Hls work has also been exhibited in the Maritime Festival, St. Michaels, Md., and the Charleston Maritime Festival, Charleston S.C. His work has also been seen in the Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover, the Washington County Museum of Fine Art in Hagerstown, Md., the Ward Museum in Salisbury, Md., The Marine Museum at Fall River Mass., and the Cold Springs Harbor Whaling Museum, Long Island, N.Y.
Jack also taught classes and workshops in watercolor and oil painting over the years. In June 2011, he was a judge for the Easton, Md. plein air painting event. In 2013, Jack was one of 50 artists whose artwork was used to illustrate a new video, created by The American Society of Marine Artists, describing the Naval War of the War of 1812. He was a member of the Rehoboth Art League and is a Coast Guard artist.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Wiberg was preceded in death in 2006 by his wife Doris Cross Wiberg. He is survived by his children: Becky Carlson (Richard) of Oakland, Calif., Beth Wiberg of Rehoboth Beach, Beverly LaChapelle (Paul) of West Warwick, R.I., and John "Jay" Wiberg Jr. of Rehoboth Beach; and his grandchildren: Trevor Wiberg and Jayson Wiberg, both of Rehoboth Beach, Drew LaChapelle, Sam LaChapelle and Rachel LaChapelle, all of West Warwick, and Danny Rourke of San Diego, Calif.
A Memorial Service will be held Tuesday, April 2, at 11 a.m., at Bethel United Methodist Church, 129 W. 4th St., Lewes, where friends may visit beginning at 10 a.m. Interment will take place prior to the services at Bethel Methodist Cemetery, Lewes. Arrangements are being handled by Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Lewes.
Memorial contributions may be made to Bethel United Methodist Church, Attn: Chancel Choir, 129 W. 4th St., Lewes, DE 19958, or Delaware Hospice, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19963.
Please visit Mr. Wiberg's Life Memorial Webpage and sign his online guest book at www.parsellfuneralhomes.com.
