Harold dear friend, I hope you are at peace now and playing cards with Bob. I will miss you and all our fun times together. We had a long run and so many good vacations together. I pray for you every day. God Bless You. Love, Cookie.

Harold will forever hold a place in my heart and in the history of the Marine Science Center.  What a great man!!  Lisa Clark

To Anne.As you know I was in the Army with Harold, stationed at Fort Totten in Bayside in 1958 thru 1961. Then we went (overseas) together(Ft Wadsworth, Staten Island, NY. This was before the Verrarzano Bridge and we had to take the Staten Island Ferry, thus overseas.  There were 8 of us that lived in a three story home in Staten Island. I will always remember Harold, because he was like a large "Teddy Bear" and was so kind and considerate. He always had a smile on his face and was always laughing and kidding around. Harold was a pleasure to be around. Although we did not see each other much after the service, we always kept in touch with Christmas cards every year. I will miss his smile, his sense of humor and most of all his Queens NY accent. I speak of him often about" Boil the water and change the oil in his car)". Anne, I think you will know what I am referring too, and I say that fondly. I will say a prayer for Harold and also to you Anne.  Love & Peace.  Jim & Barbara Gilman

Harold and his family came into our lives around 1972 when he met Pete while going to school at Seminole Community College. Their friendship grew and our families became friends that shared many fun days together . Life on the St John's river --with Harold as our captain --was full of laughter, great food , relaxation and stories of our childhood. Fun trips to Fort Wilderness , Christmas Eve celebrations , backyard fireworks and barbecues , and our amazing trip to Europe together are forever memories we cherish ! No matter when we got together--- there was always stories of previous adventures and they always involved some great food we ate . I know the Sausages in Garmisch, Germany always were a favorite ! Nobody could have described food like Harold did--- he made us almost feel like we were tasting it again ! Of course , our diets were always a topic of fun ---we were always discussing the best way we all found to keep ourselves trim --- so that we could enjoy "more" great food together ! Harold spread his laughter around everyone he met and knew the meaning of " Life is short-- live everyday -like it was your last !" Pete and I want you to know ---Ann and family --that we will always cherish these great memories in our life with you . God will embrace you and give you strength through the difficult days ahead . How wonderful to read his obituary and know that he was loved by so many and that he left this world ---knowing--- he fulfilled his dreams ! God Bless

You will forever be "Mr. Wilhelm" to me, a man I have respected and admired my whole life. You will be missed and I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to tell you this in person.  

After being an assistant coach for my son's soccer team for just one season now, I can't help but think back on how effortless and natural you made it all seem in being so incredibly involved in your son's life, and, in such a big way, extending it even further to include his friends.  Without fail, you showed up at my house every Tuesday evening to get me to our weekly scout meetings at The Hut.  There, as my Scout Master for seven unforgettable years, you played a major role in preparing my younger self in different ways to face this crazy world we live in, while inspiring me and making it fun at the same time.

Over the years, admiring you from afar during my visits home from college, to the last few times I got to see you in person, and as I grew to have a better understanding of life as an adult, I saw you take on new hobbies and interests; woodworking, aspiring to become a great photographer, the almost “kid in a candy shop” way you shared your world travels and photographs. With your ability to not hide your passion or the fact that you enjoyed these things so much, you never ceased to inspire me.  I guess it could be coincidence, but I too now enjoy heavy-duty woodworking, aspire to be a better artist/painter to capture the world around me as I see it, enjoy travelling our amazing planet immensely, thankful for the opportunities that have presented themselves, even going to some of the places ONLY because of how passionately you spoke of them, as I wouldn't have even known of them otherwise.  I can still hear you saying, “oh, you have to visit Gaahr-mish” in your New York accent.  I've been involved with both of my sons in Indian Guides now, going on 6 years, where I have been able to create lasting memories with them, that I can only hope they take with them to shape their lives.  Next year, I start Boy Scouts with my oldest son.  I feel it's safe to say that there is a good chance I aspired to some of this stuff because of you as a positive role model.

I can't help but think that you had figured out something about life that eludes most people, what's really important; the secret, if you will.  You were truly LIVING, enjoying what God gave you.  I'm glad I was able to thank you in person for the video tape of our Scout memories that you had put together for us, but now all of it has a much more profound meaning.  As a father myself now, I wish I could have thanked you just one more time and gotten to share with you how much it really meant.  You left a very positive impression on THIS boy's life, and I can only hope that I can and will be that for my kids.

I will remember you for the many happy memories, the wonderfully funny stories, and the precious time and patience that you selflessly devoted to a bunch of goofy kids, but one thing above all others.  This year, in memory of you, I will pass on the Boy Scout's Admonition to my eldest son:  Don't spit into the wind, don't tug on Superman's cape, and DON'T sit in Mr. Wilhelm's chair!

Rest in Peace Mr. Wilhelm.  We love you!

Harold and I go back to the days in the Brooklyn office. i'll never forget the car pool that was created as a result of the transit strike. Harold would pick me up along with Bob Froller and two others in his Volkswagon Bus and drive to work.Over the many years in Florida, we became friends again and had many wonderful times together at our lunches with the guys and our monthly polka nights and dinners out. He will be greatly missed.May he rest in Peace.

What a beautiful tribute to a beautiful person. Anne, I am so sorry to hear that Harold was ill and passed. He was such a great person to work with and always brought laughter to the workplace. You and your family have been in my thoughts and prayers.

Uncle Harold was by far my favorite uncle. I have so many good memories. I especially loved my trip to Florida in 77. He made sure I had a great time. I remember hiding on his motorcycle, his hippie van, and I still have a paper towel holder he made. My Mom and he were only 11 months apart, so they were very close. Uncle Harold, you had many people to greet you in Heaven. Please hug all of them for me. I will miss you and you will forever live in my heart. Love you. Your niece, Ellen

Harold Wilhelm died peacefully in his Port Orange home on August 26 after a hard-fought two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Harold was born the youngest of four children to Raymond and Isabel in the house he grew up in on November 20, 1935, in the village of Richmond Hill in the borough of Queens, NY.  His childhood was spent dueling with curtain rods pulled from the neighbors' trash,  making explosive contributions to science with his chemistry set,  hiding out in his Grossmama's backyard chicken coop, and creating a general sense of mischief, which earned him and his cohort, Junior, the nickname “The Angels of 129th Street.”  He graduated from high school at the tender age of 16 and met his one and only, Anne Mariconda, a few years later; they married in 1956.  After a trip to Florida while they were still newlyweds, Harold vowed to someday make it his home, and, in 1972, he moved the family from their home in Queens—the same one he was born in—to Central Florida. New York accent notwithstanding, Harold became as true a Floridian a 36-year-old transplant can, and took great pleasure in soaking up the sun at New Smyrna Beach, navigating the canals of the Winter Park chain of lakes, and attempting to master the art of the golf swing on as many courses as he could.  He was a collector at heart, amassing a small fortune in pennies and quarters, emptying the beaches of Sanibel of its shells, and assembling a menagerie of elephant figurines—102 at last count—where there was always room for one more, but the collection that meant the most was the archive of family photos he took over the years and faithfully catalogued. He loved to putter at his workbench, handcrafting a cradle for his firstborn grandchild along with so many other woodworking projects that his teenage grandchildren joked that Grosspapa would build them their first  car out of wood. Harold was one of the good guys.  He was a friend to turtles crossing the road, birds with broken wings, squirrels tossed from their nests by hurricanes, and shaggy dogs wandering alone in the rain. He led Boy Scout Troop 216 for seven years, acting as a nurturing guide for his neighborhood boys on their path toward manhood. He played Santa Claus at neighborhood gatherings.  He led tours of schoolchildren through the Marine Science Center at Ponce Inlet. He cootchy-cooed babies in strollers and thanked veterans whenever he saw one for their service.  While Harold held various jobs during his lifetime, including his 32-year career with The Hartford and a stint in the army of which he was very proud, the one he enjoyed most and was best at was being a father, and his three children adored him, each one secretly confident that they were his favorite.   He made their home a place they wanted to go to at the end of every day. It was a place where their opinions were listened to, their jokes always got a laugh, and the dinner table was less about eating than about sharing stories, sharing ideas, and figuring out their place in the world. Harold Wilhelm had a way of making everything more fun, more loud, more boisterous. If he had lived another hundred years, he would have died too soon.  He will be missed.

OBITUARY

Harold Wilhelm

November 20, 1935 – August 26, 2013

Volusia Memorial Funeral Home

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