George F. Wildeman Jr.

George F. Wildeman Jr., age 90, of Mentor, passed away Monday, December 5, 2022. George was born in Spangler, Pennsylvania on January 2nd, 1932, the son of the late George F. Wildeman and the late Nora Horan. He was the youngest of five siblings. Following his high school years, George graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He later achieved a Master’s Degree in Polymer Chemistry from Akron University following his service in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1957. In 1958, he met the love of his life, Mary, on a blind date. The pair married in 1960, and spent nearly 63 years together. George and Mary attended many classical music concerts in Cleveland, and they lived and died by the outcomes of Indians baseball games. They shared a love of travel, bridge, talking politics, reading their daily hard copy of the New York Times, and most of all, each other. George began his professional career working for GoodYear Tire and Rubber in Akron in 1957 and spent the ensuing 40 years of his career in Technical Service and Management roles for several plastics technology companies in Northeast Ohio. During the early 1960s, George and Mary welcomed their three children into the world: Vickie, George and Chuck. He treasured every member of his family beyond measure and took pride in each of their accomplishments. Several of his children also pursued technical and engineering fields, leading to years of cheerful banter and debate as to which of their specialties was “best.” No unanimous decision was reached. His love of Penn State Nittany Lions football was unbreakable, and the annual Penn State vs. Ohio State football game was always a big family event. George could recite the poems of Robert Frost and T.S. Eliot by heart, and loved tending to his garden for decades. He was also adept at working the Times crossword, Sudoku puzzles, and most recently, Wordle. George’s knack for storytelling could captivate any audience, especially the crowd around his dinner table. His family enjoyed hearing their favorites of his tales, from his adventures running into bears and moose in the wilds of Alaska, and his humorously recounted stories from his extensive business travels to Iran, Sudan, Pakistan and Nigeria. George is survived by his wife of 62 years: Mary (Brunson) Wildeman; children: Vickie Wildeman, George F. (Kimberly Jo) Wildeman, and Chuck (Angela) Wildeman; grandchildren: Erin (Jack) Wildeman Balcarcel, Kelcie Wildeman, Mary Katherine (Fiance: Andy Brown) Wildeman, and George F. Wildeman IV; brother-in-law Jim (Diane) Brunson; and niece Julie (John) Fleming; as well as many grandnieces and nephews. Preceding George in death are his parents: George F. and Nora Wildeman; his five siblings, and niece Kathleen (Joseph) Campbell. The family requests that there will be no calling hours. A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, December 17th at St. Noel Church, 35200 Chardon Road, Willoughby Hills, OH 44094. The family suggests a donation be made to the St. Noel Church, C/O: Social Justice Food Pantry, in Memory of George Wildeman, 35200 Chardon Road, Willoughby Hills, OH 44094. We are blessed to call him Husband, Dad, Uncle and Grandpa. Arrangements entrusted to Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave. Mentor, OH. 44060. Offer Condolences at www.brunners.com

George F. Wildeman Jr.

January 2, 1932 - December 5, 2022