FALLS VILLAGE — John was born on Dec. 15, 1934, in Evanston, Illinois, and died on June 3, 2024. John graduated from high school in Silver Spring, Maryland, with a focus on audio, radio and music. He curated and hosted a popular Folk Music radio program recorded at WAMC and broadcast by NPR. He was the first president of The Folklore Society of Greater Washington in the early 1960s. He provided audio support during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug. 28, 1963.
John, his wife, Ginny, and their three children (son Wesley, daughters Debbie and Connie) performed as The Dildine Family Folk Songs and Marionettes for ten years at folk festivals, schools and folk venues.
John was a self-employed sound recording engineer for documentary films and television. He was also a voice recording artist. The John Dildine and Ginny Dildine Papers now reside at the Library of Congress-Folklife Division.
John loved travel, painting, pottery, and family. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Ginny, his son, Wesley (Chelsea), daughters Debbie (Joel) and Connie (Lars); and two granddaughters, Leah (Matt) and Shannon, and four great grandchildren.
