Dewalt Joseph Willard, Jr.

In loving memory of Dewalt Joseph Willard, Jr. (De) who died on November 13, 2024. De was born on September 30,1931 in Poolesville, MD 1n the home his grandparents built in 1917. He was the son of Dewalt Joseph Willard, Sr. and Virginia Chiswell Ball.

De graduated from Poolesville High School in 1948. He attended the University of Maryland School of Agriculture focusing on agronomy, botany, and crop production. Simultaneously, he launched his custom farming career; purchasing a pull type John Deere 12A combine in July 1948. This event was the beginning of his 76-year business career. 

De and his siblings were raised by their aunt, Helen Willard Pumphrey, known affectionately as Tatie. She remained an important part of his life not only as a parent but as a trusted advisor. De was dedicated to Tatie’s wellbeing and cared for her until her death in 2005.

On April 14, 1952, De married Frances Mae Amato of Washington D.C. They raised their four children in Poolesville, MD, where the family enjoyed the privilege of farm life. When time allowed, water skiing at Seneca on the Potomac River and trips to Ocean City, Maryland were favorite family activities. At the time of their marriage, De converted to Catholicism and became a faithful and active member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Barnesville, MD. Upon moving to Frederick, MD in 1985, he became a parishioner of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.

De founded Willard Chemical Co., Inc. in 1970 (later renamed Willard Agri-Service) as a companion business to his custom farming operation. Willard Agri-Service grew to become a nationally recognized agricultural retailer serving Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Virginia, and West Virginia from five locations. De’s thirst for knowledge motivated him to become active in numerous ag retailer organizations across the nation, where he built a network of cherished friends.

In August 1981, De launched a second business endeavor in the automotive industry which grew to five dealerships located in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Similar to the network of friends he developed in agriculture, he grew another network of treasured colleagues in the auto world. 

De loved his work and businesses, never carving out significant time for hobbies and recreation. He often remarked that “if you love your job, you’re having fun every day and don’t need a hobby!” However, when he took a flying lesson at the Frederick Municipal Airport, he fell in love with aviation and the intricacies of modern aircraft. Being a skilled farm machine operator, De quickly mastered the coordination of flight controls, obtaining his private pilot’s license in January 1984 and later securing an instrument rating. His favorite aircraft was his Bonanza A-36 (N345D). He logged over 3,000 hours of flight time which included many trips to the mid-west, often with lifelong friends from the Poolesville/Frederick area. Flying was also a timesaver when De desired to visit his fertilizer plants on the Eastern Shore of Maryland or attend meetings within the flight range of his Bonanza.

De was an innovator who loved traveling the country looking for new ideas and concepts. He often remarked that his network of friends and business associates he nurtured was critical to his professional success. These friendships meant a great deal to De.

As professional success grew, De fostered important relationships within the ag industry by serving on the Boards of The Fertilizer Institute, Brandt Consolidated, Ouachita Fertilizer, Ag Chem Equipment, the National Fertilizer Solutions Association, and the Maryland and Virgina Milk Producers Cooperative.

De never forgot those early customers that trusted his abilities and took a chance doing business with him. He stayed connected to many of them later in life and never forgot them during the holiday season.

De was a huge believer in being involved and “giving back” serving on numerous nonagricultural Boards. Locally, he was a member of the Mid-Atlantic Master Farmers Assoc., the Monocacy Lions Club, and the Upper Montgomery County Farmer’s Club. He also served on the Town of Poolesville Planning Commission. Civic engagement was important to De, and he served on the Boards of Frederick County National Bank, Frederick Memorial Hospital, and Dutch’s Daughter. Believing education is key to a strong future, De also served on the Boards of the Connelly School of the Holy Child, The Barnesville School, and as President of the Poolesville High School PTA. 

He is survived by his former wife and mother of his children Frances Amato Willard; brother William G. Willard (Jane) of Little River, NC; and sister Sarah Ann King (David) of Derwood, MD. He is also survived by his four children Bobby Willard (Lynda) of Key West, FL; Billy Willard, Sr. (Ann Marie) of Poolesville, MD; Jimmy Willard of Jefferson, MD; and Patti Weiss (Mike) of Charlotte, NC., sixteen grandchildren and seventeen great grandchildren.

The family would like to extend their sincere thanks to his friends who visited him at home and Village Crossing and their gratitude to the caregivers from Assisting Hands and the staff at Village Crossing. Finally, a heartfelt thanks to De’s coworkers at Willard Agri-Service for their support.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, November 21, from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Stauffer Funeral Home; 1621 Opossumtown Pike; Frederick, MD. 

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, November 22, 2024 at St. John the Evangelist; 118 E. 2nd Street; Frederick, MD at 10:00 am. Burial will follow at Monocacy Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be directed to St. John The Evangelist Catholic Church (112 E. 2nd Street; Frederick MD 21701) or Frederick Health Hospice (1 Frederick Health Way; Frederick, MD 21701). 

Expressions of sympathy may be offered to the family at StaufferFuneralHome.com.