On August 21, 2023, the WETA community lost a dear friend in John Begeny. John passed away peacefully at his home with his beloved dog, Charlie, at his side, after a brief but valiant battle with cancer.
John was known to WETA audiences as a producer and on-air personality, more so in the last few years as, together with his best friend Christine Wolski, he co-hosted the hit series If You Lived Here. To the WETA team, he was known as a vibrant and joyful friend and colleague, who lit up any meeting and routinely brought joy and laughter to the WETA offices and hallways. He was a dedicated fundraiser for WETA for more than 20 years, pouring his heart and soul into the WETA mission.
We miss him dearly.
We invite you to take a peek at a portion of the tribute video shown at his memorial, featuring John and Christine in their Emmy-winning roles as co-hosts of If You Lived Here. We’ve also shared the full version of his obituary at the bottom of this page. If you would like to share a memory of John with the WETA team, you can do so below.
Share Your Memories of John Begeny
John Patrick Begeny
September 23, 1968 - August 21, 2023
John Patrick Begeny passed away peacefully at his home with his beloved dog, Charlie, at his side on August 21, 2023, after a brief but valiant battle with cancer. Born on September 23, 1968, in Rockville, Maryland, John was the son of the late Donald and Nancy Zahn Begeny.
He grew up in Ellicott City, Maryland, where he graduated from Mt Hebron High School and went on to the University of Maryland where he graduated with a degree in Business.
He spent much of his professional career as a fundraiser for public broadcasting station WETA and was known by many as the co-host of the popular local series If You Lived Here. He was devoted to WETA's audiences and mission and was the recipient of two local EMMY awards for his work. He was a cherished colleague, known for his enthusiasm, occasional pranks, creative ideas, and warm laugh.
His early career started in the restaurant business as a manager at Kinkead’s. He later developed an interest in television and honed his skills at Arlington Independent Media. His work behind the camera continued with the movie Boiler Room where he was an assistant to director Ben Younger. But you can watch John’s earliest work as an extra in the original 1988 movie Hairspray.
John was an incomparably loving and kind soul with a unique sense of humor and love of life. His positive spirit was infectious, and he could easily make anyone smile. He very much enjoyed spending time with close friends and family and was quite the cook, as he readily shared his favorite recipes with everyone. He had a great eye for art and design and loved thrifting for hidden treasures. He had a passion for traveling and was fortunate to have visited locations throughout America and abroad. But he will most be remembered for his gift of storytelling and sharing the fun events in his life.
John is survived by his sister Lynda Manning (Jim) of Westminster, Maryland, and brother Mark Begeny (Donna) of McLean, Virginia. He will forever be the beloved uncle to six surviving nieces and nephews, Katelin Manning Harwood (Tim), Hannah Manning, Luke Manning, Abigail Manning, John (“Cal”) Begeny and Jack Begeny, as well as a great uncle to Olivia Harwood. He is also survived by twenty-six Begeny and Zahn family cousins, a handful of aunts, and one uncle, Jim Eales. He was predeceased by his nephew, Christopher Manning.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, Hirshberg Foundation, Arlington Independent Media, WETA or a charity of your choice.
