John Michael Tooley, paratransit pioneeer
John Michael Tooley, a long-time resident of Milton, passed away Tuesday, July 20, 2021, at Beebe Healthcare in Lewes.
John was born Sept. 15, 1946, in Chesham Bois, England, son of the late Michael Vere and Joyce (Pike) Tooley. He worked as a welder until he sustained a spinal cord injury as a result of a motorcycle accident at the age of 19 which left him paralyzed from the chest down. This unfortunate event had a silver lining as it resulted in him meeting his future wife and angel, Marcia (Molter) Tooley, a traveling physical therapist who was working at the world renown National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Hospital where John was being treated. In 1970, he moved to Boston, Mass., to marry Marcia, his wife and caregiver for the next 47 years. Shortly after they moved to Lewes, and then to Milton, where they started a family.
Professionally, John helped expand paratransit in Delaware so that people with disabilities could have access to transportation and live more independent, active lives. He worked for Delaware Wheels for the Handicapped which later became Delaware Association for Specialized Transportation, and finally, DART Paratransit for the Delaware Department of Transportation. He served in various roles, including as a scheduler, dispatcher and operations supervisor until he retired 40 years later. He received an award from the State of Delaware in 1984 for his service.
John had a strong character full of humor, wit and persistence. He had a mischievous sparkle in his eyes and a gift for making friends everywhere he went. With Marcia, he raised his children to derive joy from a wide variety of music and food. He loved spending time listening to music on his reel-to-reel and attending live concerts. Other passions included watching Formula 1 races and professional golf, and outfitting computer equipment with the latest technology.
John is survived by his sister, Christina Tooley; daughters, Lauren Tooley and Melissa Tooley; sons-in-law, Daniel Mazmanian and Matthew Riggieri; granddaughters, Kira Mazmanian and Ilana Mazmanian; and daughter-in-heart, Linda Padman. John was preceded in death by his parents and wife.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday July 31, at the gazebo in Milton Memorial Park, 113 Union St. Milton.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: CHEER's Meals on Wheels Program: https://cheerde.wufoo.com/forms/the-importance-of-giving/ or Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation: https://www.christopherreeve.org/donate
Arrangements in the care of Short Funeral Services, Milton. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.shortfuneralservicesandcremation.com
