Chef John Wesley Memorial-Education Fund

Chef John Duncan Wesley aged 59, passed away Friday September 24, 2021 from

COVID-19 complications at St. Vincent’s Hospital. John was born in Toledo on

December 2, 1961 to Mary Lee Duncan Wesley and Dr. John Ross Wesley. He grew

up in Sylvania, Ohio and moved with his family to Waterloo, Belgium, where he

attended the International School. Upon returning to the USA, John graduated from

Andover High School in West Bloomfield, Michigan. After graduation, John worked at

Boyne Mountain Ski resort with his mentor, Chef Bill Earley. It was here that John fell in

love with the culinary world. He graduated from the prestigious Culinary Institute of

America in Hyde Park, NY in 1984. During his externship at the CIA, John worked for

renowned Chef Susan Spicer at Savior Faire in New Orleans.

After moving back to Toledo, Chef John also became a certified Meat Cutter. In 1985,

John moved to the western suburbs of Detroit and became Chef de Cuisine for

Restaurant Duglass. He then opened Ristorante di Modesta as Chef, and in September

1985 was named one of the rising top chefs of Detroit. John returned to the Toledo

area as chef de cuisine at Fifi’s Restaurant and became executive chef at Maumee

Wines with his childhood friend Bill Foster. Winemaker dinners featuring winery owners

from around the world became a staple of his repertoire.

In 1991, John opened JDWesley’s Bistro. It was here that his reputation really began to

take off. Catering to fine dining and exceptional wine in a casual open-kitchen concept

was his passion. He held court with his favorite menus, winemaker dinners, Nouveau

Beaujolais, and Mardi Gras parties with a “chef water” in his hand as JDWesley’s

became one of the most well known fine dining experiences in the Toledo area. Chef

John was especially proud to re-open Encore in the same space 9 years after closing

JDWesley’s. All his children spent time in the restaurants with their father, learning

kitchen skills from a young age. Disabling spinal problems caused Chef John to retire,

followed eventually by kidney disease, but John still loved passing his set of culinary

skills on to new students and continued to volunteer his knowledge and passion. He

championed new culinary ideas with fusion cuisine after travelling abroad, an

exceptional wines by the glass program, daily changing menus, local produce, local

meats/game, and a chef’s garden.