Robert Charles Wilden

Born in the outskirts of Cologne, Germany on August 30, 1935 to Anton and Hildegard Wilden, Robert Charles Wilden (“Bob”) spent the first eighteen years of his life helping to rebuild his family’s life in what remained of Cologne following its devastation in the Second World War.

In late 1953, Bob’s parents made the momentous decision to leave Germany for the promises of a better life in the United States. Bob, however, did not want to leave the country of his birth, but reluctantly came to America with his parents, and two younger brothers Fred and Herb.

Shortly after arrival in New York, Bob enlisted with the United States Army, and upon hearing that he could make an extra five dollars per week by jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, he joined the 82nd Airborne. Bob proudly served his new country until his honorable discharge two years later.

Following his departure from the Army, Bob met his future wife, the young Bavarian Isolde Blei, at a soccer game in New York. And on October 20, 1956 the two were married in the Bronx.

After difficulties securing work in New York, Bob heard that a German Club in Detroit could find work in the bustling metro-Detroit manufacturing community, if someone could make the Club’s first soccer team. Never one to be shy betting on himself, Bob jumped at the opportunity, and settled in Detroit, where he was shortly joined by his new bride, Isolde.

Once established in Detroit, Bob and Isolde welcomed their first son Joe in 1958, and their second son Bruce in 1960.

For the next fifteen years, while continuing to raise his family, Bob worked at various manufacturing jobs throughout metro Detroit.

Despite achieving his initial dream of landing a secure job with General Motors, Bob quickly realized that he needed more than what a career at the Big Three could offer him. While still working at General Motors, he was approached with a partnership opportunity in a manufacturing company. Again, Bob bet it all on himself, and through years of gritty hard work, Bob was able to buy out all other business partners by 1985. It was at this point that Greene Metal Products began to truly prosper, and has thrived for nearly forty years.

By the mid 90’s Bob’s family had expanded from two sons, to six grandchildren. While retirement was never something Bob planned on fully embracing, after forty-five years of nonstop work, Bob began stepping away from his role at Greene Metal enjoying the fruits of his hard earned labor. Over the next twenty years, Bob traveled the world, ultimately seeing all seven continents. He enjoyed watching soccer and playing golf and was always a popular member of whichever community he found himself living in.

Despite his world travels and active life, he never fully retired. Until the end, Bob regularly found himself at Greene Metal Products enjoying coffee with his colleagues and friends, discussing the latest happenings in the shop.

Bob was often the funniest person in the room despite never telling a joke and will be fondly remembered for his quick and sharp wit.

Most important of all to Bob, however, was his family. Few grandfathers had stronger and closer relationships with his grandchildren than Bob. In the twilight of his life, Bob grew closer to his grandchildren. He even lived two doors down from his grandsons, where Bob saw the start of another generation of Wildens.

Bob peacefully passed shortly after a few of his grandsons had one final round of beer with their Opa, sharing their favorite stories - laughing and smiling the whole time.

From the ruins of post-war Cologne, Bob emigrated to America and built the foundation upon which generations stand. He was deeply loved by his family and friends and will be greatly missed.

Robert Wilden - he lived the American Dream.