Vaughn Wendenland

Vaughn Wendenland passed away on April 26^th, 2023, at Ortega Gardens Memory Care Facility in Jacksonville, FL.  He is predeceased by his parents Francis and Vivian Wendenland and survived by his wife Sherry and his daughter Holly Petrilla, his granddaughter Zinnia Petrilla, sisters Sally Skipper, Ginger Martin, and Wendy Crawford, and his nieces and nephews.

Vaughn was born in Jacksonville, FL on August 12, 1941.  He played football for Andrew Jackson High School and earned a football scholarship to the University of Georgia.  After graduation, he moved back to Jacksonville and trained for the Coast Guard, in which he served for several years.  He taught and coached football at Ribault High School before joining the City of Jacksonville’s Real Estate division, from which he retired.

In his retirement Vaughn enjoyed going on cruises, visiting Cedar Key, and going for walks at the Baldwin Rail Trail and the Cecil Industrial Complex with his dogs Ratty and Sigmund.  He loved spending time with his family, especially with his granddaughter.  Some of his favorite pastimes included watching Jeopardy, solving crossword puzzles, playing trivia, and going for long, leisurely drives in the car.  He had a lot of local knowledge about Jacksonville and loved sharing stories and history about the places he spent time when he was growing up.

Vaughn was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends. He will be laid to rest on Wednesday, May 3^rd at Evergreen Cemetery on North Main Street.  His viewing will take place at 1:00 pm at Evergreen Chapel and services will begin at 2:00 pm.  In lieu of flowers, tribute donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.