Obituary of Rollin E. Wilder

Rollin E. Wilder, a lifelong resident of Waukesha, passed away on December 21, 2019, at AngelsGrace Hospice, at the age of 92.  He was born on December 8, 1927, to Theodore and Iona Wilder.  He served in the Navy on the USS Saratoga (CV-3), participating in nuclear weapon tests related to Operation Cross Roads.  He was an entrepreneur and co-owner of Waukesha Cement and Tile for over 30 years.

Rollin loved gardening and walks with his dog.  His hobbies included baseball, football and studying history.  Those studies eventually included researching family history to discover a direct ancestor that arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1642, and a later ancestor that served as Captain in the Continental Army, fighting at Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston before war’s end.

Rollin is missed dearly by his nephews; Mark (Susan) Wilder, Brent (Carol) Wilder, Douglas Wilder, niece Karen Radelet Heaton and the remaining member of an especially close group of lifelong friends, Shirley Kopshinksy, along with great-nephews, nieces and friends.  Rollin is preceded in death by his parents, wife Ethel Hoppe Wilder, brother Perry J. Wilder, sister-in-law Elli Wilder and niece Barbara Lohr.

Visitation for Rollin will be held Friday, January 10, 2020 from 10:00AM until 11:00AM at Cesarz, Charapata, and Zinnecker Funeral Home, 237 N. Moreland Blvd, Waukesha, WI 53188.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Society or ProHealth Care Foundation.  The family appreciates the compassion and care Rollin received at Waukesha Memorial Hospital and AngelsGrace Hospice.