Wesley T. Sessa

Wesley T. Sessa passed away at 3:33 AM on October 18, 2025, surrounded by family. He leaves behind his devoted wife, Heidi Rosato; his beloved children, Kate(Noonan-Sessa) Unger and Wesley M.; their mother, Maureen Noonan; his cherished grandchildren, Brady and Nolan; his dear sister Sheila (Sessa) Leonard and her children Jonathan Leonard and Cara ( Leonard) Cross; his aunt Batiste Guiliani, and several cousins. Remembered as a relentlessly optimistic dreamer, a fierce advocate, a generous teacher, and a warm, open-hearted soul, Wesley lived a life defined by connection, finding joy in people, history, and places—and in the stories woven between them.
Born March 3, 1950, in Stamford, Connecticut, to Donata Marie “Nettie” and Wesley M. Sessa, Wesley grew up in a lively Italian immigrant community. His childhood was filled with Sunday dinners, large family gatherings, and a love of the water, where he learned to fish. He served as an altar boy at Saint Mary’s Parish, developing an early appreciation for service, conversation, and community. He attended Christ the King Preparatory Seminary in Southport, graduating in 1968.
A lifelong music lover, Wesley mastered the keyboard and played in several high-school bands, including the Odds and Ends, the Banned, and the Midas Touch. He later attended King’s College in Wilkes-Barre to study English literature, channeling his love of music into promoting campus concerts. He booked early performances by artists who would become legends—Grace Slick, Rod Stewart and the Small Faces, Johnny Winter, Leon Russell—and attended Woodstock with his best friends. He had a lifelong devotion to the Rolling Stones, shared enthusiastically with the family and friends who attended dozens of their concerts with him.
After earning his undergraduate degree in 1972, Wesley completed a master’s at Villanova University, where he met Maureen. Married in 1974, both began teaching careers, with Wesley teaching English first in Philadelphia and then at Lower Merion High School, where he was als the debate coach. Soon after, they purchased an abandoned farmhouse in Chester County and embarked on restoring the historic property—a project that ignited Wesley’s passion for preserving early American buildings and landscapes. He taught English for a decade before transitioning full-time to antiques dealing and running his historic restoration company, 18th Century Restorations, Inc.
The birth of his children, Katerina in 1985 and Wesley Michael in 1988, brought him profound joy. A devoted and engaged father, he shared poetry, music, and history with them, championing their curiosity. After transitioning fully into preservation work, he restored dozens of historically significant structures, including the 1642 Lower Swedish Log Cabin, the 1702 Downingtown Log House, the Mill at Anselma, and the Mordecai Lincoln House. His legacy endures in the buildings and landscapes he saved across Chester County and beyond.
Deeply civic-minded, Wesley was active in student government and the Students for a Democratic Society, attended the March on Washington, served on the board of the French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, and later held office as Township Supervisor, advocating for the conservation of open spaces and the preservation of historic buildings.
For more than two decades, Wesley shared a loving partnership with Heidi. They were blessed to be entrusted with caring for a little girl, Lena, for over two years, who became a beloved member of their family and whom Wesley always described as a joy and a delight.
Wesley faced the end of life with the same optimism he carried throughout it, comforted by the poetry of Shelley:
Oh man ! hold thee on in courage of soul
Through the stormy shades of thy worldly way,
And the billows of cloud that around thee roll
Shall sleep in the light of wondrous day
Where Hell and Heaven shall leave thee free
To the universe of destiny.

In lieu of flowers, you can give in memory of Wesley Sessa to French & Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust, 4030 South Whitehorse Road, Devault, PA 19432, 610-933-7577.
A celebration of Wesley’s life will be at Warwick Furnace Farm, Glenmoore, PA, on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at 1:00 PM. There will be a Quaker memorial meeting. Please RSVP at https://pp.events/celebratewesleytsessa

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