David Wentworth

David Wentworth

Foster’s Daily Democrat | www.fosters.com | Thursday, March 14, 2019 A3
LOCAL Son: David Wentworth a ‘humble, hardworking guy’
By John Doyle jdoyle@seacoastonline.com
ROLLINSFORD — Even in his later years, David A. Wentworth was involved in Wentworth Greenhouses, the business he co-founded in Rollinsford in 1967. “He’d sit in the parking lot in his pickup truck, just reading the newspaper and watching what goes on,” said Wentworth’s son, Bryan
Wentworth. “He’d offer tidbits of advice here and there.” David A. Wentworth died Monday at age 86, more than 50 years after he and his brother Aaron turned a longtime family business into Wentworth Greenhouses at 141 Rollins Road. “He was a humble, hardworking
guy, never really wanted the spotlight,” Bryan said. “He was always just doing his job and trying to help everybody else out. It was just hard work.” Bryan said his father grew up working the farm where Wentworth Greenhouses now stands, alongside parents Andrew Rollins Wentworth and Mary Louise (Chick) Wentworth. “They grew field crops and squash that they used to sell down at the Boston Produce Market,” Bryan said. “That was his upbringing. When they were doing that, they had some small greenhouses.” Visitors would stop by the greenhouses and purchase seedlings and squash from the Wentworths, Bryan said. More greenhouses were built, and the business grew from there. David and Aaron officially incorporated Wentworth Greenhouses in 1967, the same year Bryan was born. “They built everything themselves from scratch,” Bryan said. “They did their own concreting, and everything else, on a shoestring budget.” Bryan said he and his brother Mark Wentworth, along with cousin John Wentworth, all worked with David at the greenhouse, and are still involved with the business today. “We’ve worked here since we were little kids, when you could work as little kids,” Bryan said. “Weeding, odd jobs … All the brothers grew up in the business. But it was fun. You could drive the tractors. We’d all drive tractors, delivery trucks.” Bryan said Wentworth Greenhouses was the first job for many in the community. “The school bus would drive up and maybe 20 kids would get out,” Bryan said. “One time we had 75 kids working here. Over the years it’s been hundreds. I still get people who come in and say they worked their first job here.”

Thank you to Fosters for the nice article. We will miss you David!