Obituaries

of Chelsea, MI, formerly of Ann Arbor, age 93, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, November 24, 2021 at Chelsea Retirement Community. He was born April 10, 1928 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the son of Carl Frederick & Pearl Esther (Cook) Wild.  Fred graduated from Ann Arbor High School in 1945. He retired from the Ann Arbor News in 1990 after many years. Fred was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Chelsea, and had been active at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor and Trinity Lutheran Church in Pinckney before coming to Chelsea. He received special recognition for exceeding 9000 hours of service in over 22 years of volunteering at Chelsea Community Hospital. Fred was an active member of Chelsea Senior Citizens and the Pierce Lake HOA Board. He coached Bruce’s Little League, and bowled for many years at Chelsea Lanes, Belmark, and Colonial Lanes. He was an avid U of M Football fan. Fred gave selflessly to his family and community. He was a hero to his family.

On April 23, 1949, he married Betty June Walker at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor, and she preceded him in death on October 13, 2012. Survivors include one son, Bruce D. (Peggy) Wild of Sylvania, OH; three daughters, Diane K. (Tom) Edman of Ft. Myers Beach, FL, Jill A. (Roberto) Herrera of Warsaw, IN, Carol B. (Steven) Bonfiglio of Pinckney; 9 grandchildren, Carrie, Becky, Josh, Aaron, Sarah, Molly, Ryan, Michael, and Gina; 10 great-grandchildren; a brother, Kenneth Wild of The Villages, FL; and a sister-in-law, Jane Ann Wild of Ann Arbor. He was preceded in death by 2 brothers, Earl and Roland.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, Dec. 1, 1:00 pm at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Chelsea, with Rev. Daniel Pezzica officiating. Burial will take place at Washtenong Memorial Park in Ann Arbor at a later date. The family will receive friends at Cole Funeral Chapel Tuesday 3-7 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to Our Savior Lutheran Church, 1515 S. Main St, Chelsea, MI 48118 or Arbor Hospice, 2366 Oak Valley Road, Ann Arbor, MI  48103.

Click here to watch the video of Fred's funeral


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