Milllard “Russ” Wilhelm, Jr., 88, of Dryden, NY, passed away on May 6, 2013 at Oak Hill Manor in Ithaca, NY. He was born on November 12, 1924 in Marion, OH to Russell M. and Irene Leonhardt Wilhelm.
Russ was graduated from Marion Harding High School in 1942 and served as a lieutenant with the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1943 to 1946. In 1948 he was graduated from The Ohio State University, earning a B.S. degree in Agriculture. Upon graduation, he married Sarah Steel Ward in Parma Heights, OH. The couple moved to Ithaca, NY and in 1952 he received an M.S. degree in Plant Pathology from Cornell University.
Mr. Wilhelm was a longtime resident of Middleport, NY, where he worked for FMC Corporation, and of Mountain Lakes, NJ, where he worked for BASF Corporation. In 1990 he and Sarah retired to Dryden. There he served as a village trustee and was a member of the United Methodist Church of Dryden, where he enjoyed being a lay speaker. He had a lifelong interest in model aviation and was a member of the Ithaca Radio Control Society. He also enjoyed sailing, reading, and tending his rose garden.
Following Sarah’s death in 2002, Russ married Bonnie Nelson in 2003. They were members of the Calvary Baptist Church of Harford.
He is survived by his wife Bonnie, of Dryden, sons Russell (Janice) Wilhelm of Houston, TX, Harold (Donna) Wilhelm of Groton, NY, George (Kristine) Wilhelm of Slingerlands, NY, and daughters Elizabeth “Betsy” (Kurt Brombach) of Madison, WI, and Sarah Jane of Fort Collins, CO; grandchildren Benjamin, Gregory, Heidi, and Zachary; and a cousin Christine.
Friends are invited to a memorial service at Perkins Funeral Home, 55 W. Main Street, Dryden, on Sunday, May 19 at 2:30PM. The Reverend Jim Owens will officiate. There will be no calling hours. Memorial gifts, in lieu of flowers, can be directed to the charity of your choice.
Russell Milllard “Russ” Wilhelm, Jr., 88, of Dryden, NY, passed away on May 6, 2013 at Oak Hill Manor in Ithaca, NY. He was born on November 12, 1924 in Marion, OH to Russell M. and Irene Leonhardt Wilhelm.
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