John F. Wolfe cherished this city and cheered for its success, but mostly from behind the scenes. He never sought personal attention and preferred to support others who were more comfortable in the limelight.

John F. Wolfecherished this city and cheered for its success, but mostly from behind the scenes. He never sought personal attention and preferred to support others who were more comfortable in the limelight.

Wolfe, the former publisher of The Dispatch anda Columbus business leader and philanthropist, died Friday afternoon at theJames Cancer Hospitalat Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center. He had cancer for two years. He was 72.

"He always put community before personal interests and community before politics," said Michael B. Coleman, who left Columbus City Hall last year as the city's longest-serving mayor.

"He believed in Columbus unlike anyone else I've known. He believed in Columbus and its people," Coleman said about Wolfe, whose family still owns WBNS-10TV in Columbus, WTHR-TV in Indianapolis, radio stations, agricultural and commercial properties.

>>Local leaders remember, mourn John F. Wolfe

Wolfe's family owned The Dispatch for 110 years until they sold it a year ago to GateHouse Media, and Wolfe quietly wielded great influence as a leader in central Ohio during the past four decades.

"He was never a bully, even though he had great power," said Gov. John Kasich. "He had a way of communicating in an understated way" that brought people together to achieve common goals.

"John always pitched in and was on the front line, but he never based that on his personal interests," Kasich said. "Nobody loves this country, this state or central Ohio more than he did."

Leslie H. Wexner,L Brands chairman and CEO,said in a statement that he and central Ohio have lost a good friend. "John was patient, thoughtful and totally unselfish in every way. He was a leader for the ages...for our country...our state...and our community. He loved his hometown, and we loved him.

"He accomplished more with his patience and diligence than any other leader in our community's history," Wexner said. "On a personal level, I treasured my relationship with John. He was my partner and dear friend, and I shall miss him deeply. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ann, Sara, Rita , Katie and all of his family members. His memory is a blessing for us all.

Wolfe had health problems in recent years but remained active in community affairs. He received the Ohio Newspaper Association President's Award, the group's highest honor, at the 2016 annual convention on Feb. 18, 2016.

"Through his 40-year career as Dispatch publisher, John Wolfe not only made The Dispatch one of the most respected newspapers in America,but he also was one of the guiding hands in making Columbus the vibrant, growing city it is today," the ONA said in honoring Wolfe.

Michael F. Curtin, a state legislator who worked with Wolfe for nearly four decades and rose from reporter to president and associate publisher before retiring from The Dispatch Printing Company in 2011, said that Wolfe had an "unwavering commitment to the city of Columbus, and he didn't care who got the credit for its successes.

"John was very shy – never liked the spotlight – and was most comfortable being in the background," Curtin said. "John never took the health of the city – economically or culturally – for granted. He knew that it took constant nurturing from a lot of people, and he was always comfortable not being out front on those things."

"He took great pride in the newspaper's role in ensuring high standards in government and business," Curtin said. "He was always a tiger on open access issues, and a good example is when he sued his own business partner – the Columbus Blue Jackets – for access to records involving the only death ever of a spectator during an NHL hockey game."

Wolfe helped shape the city through his family's business interests and, with his wife, Ann, through philanthropic gifts to Nationwide Children's Hospital, Ohio State University, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and Franklin Park Conservatory - and also through the editorial page of The Dispatch, which his family ran from 1905 until 2015. He became its publisher in 1975.

He and other members of the Wolfe family were longtime aviation proponents, helping lead the way for improvements in facilities and service at Port Columbus and Rickenbacker. The family also invested in the short-lived, low-cost airline Skybus in 2004 as a way to bring better air service to the region.

He was devoted to a vibrant downtown, maintaining a business headquarters across from the Statehouse, and helping lead development of the Arena and Brewery districts with both editorial-page support and his own investments.

"He told me that one of the things he was most proud of is the redevelopment of the riverfront," Coleman said about Wolfe's leadership in transforming the Scioto River into the city's front yard. "He lived to see the greenway to successful completion, knowing that it was something his father (Preston Wolfe) always wanted to see happen."

Wolfe invested in both the construction of a hockey arena and the Blue Jackets hockey franchise as a way to bring professional sports to the city, and that investment by his companies and other business leaders resulted in the transformation of a forlorn old prison site into one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in the city. He also helped bring Major League Soccer to the city with Columbus Crew SC.

He fought vigorously against placement of a casino downtown and in favor of a new ballpark for the Columbus Clippers.

"Columbus has lost a gentle giant," said Alex Fischer, president of the Columbus Partnership, a group of about 50 Columbus CEOs who work together on planning and projects to keep the city vibrant and growing. "In our city's history, simply no one has done more to moveour community forward. His commitment to his family, our city, his beloved Buckeyes and ourcommunity's health-care providers is second to none.

"He often talked to me about thecollaborative nature of the Columbus business, civic and political leadership as our greatestasset," Fischer said. "He held the highest standard, expectation and respect forcommunity engagement at all levels. His commitment to Columbus will continue through ourwork and will serve to honor his memory every day."

Wolfe was politically conservative and generally supported Republican causes and candidates, but he also supported Democrats - such as Coleman - who shared his vision for the best interests of the city and central Ohio.

His pivotal role in the community was reflected each year in the long line of politicians, and business and community leaders who attended a holiday gathering at the former home of The Dispatch at 34 S. Third St.

The Wolfe family sold the newspaper and magazine divisions to New Media Investment Group, parent of GateHouse Media, in June 2015. The newspaper's newsroom has since relocated to 62 E. Broad St., which his family built in 1921 as home to the other newspaper they owned until 1959, The Ohio State Journal.

In a farewell letter last year to Dispatch readers, Wolfe wrote, "For 110 years, it has been our family's great privilege to own and operate a daily newspaper that grew to become central Ohio's leading provider of news and information. When our family purchased The Dispatch in 1905, Columbus had four daily newspapers. The telegraph, telephone and electric light were recent technological innovations."

Born Aug. 7, 1943, to Preston and Jean Bostwick Wolfe, Wolfe graduated from Columbus Academy and later Washington and Lee University, where he was a competitive swimmer. Among his leadership positions, he was vice chairman of the Columbus Downtown Development Corp. and the Columbus Partnership, and was on the boards of The John Glenn College of Public Affairs at Ohio State, the Ohio Business Roundtable, the Wexner Center Foundation and the Wexner Medical Center.

OSU President Michael V. Drake said that "In addition to the family's generous and wide-ranging support of Ohio State, John most recently brought vision, perspective and good humor to his service on the Wexner Medical Center Board, always in pursuit of deepening the partnership between the university and the community to our great mutual benefit."

Wolfe is survived by his wife, Ann Isaly Wolfe, and three daughters, Sara Wolfe Perrini, Rita Wolfe and Katie Wolfe Lloyd, sons-in-law Michael Perrini and Clark Lloyd, and five grandchildren: Christopher, Abigail and John Preston Perrini; and Jack and Teddy Lloyd.

ajohnson@dispatch.com amiller@dispatch.com