Winthrop E. Hilding

1918 - 2016

Winthrop Edward Hilding died Sunday December 11, 2016 in Storrs, CT at age 98. Born in Hartford on June 4, 1918 to Albert and Ethel Hilding (nee Porter), Winthrop spent his childhood on his family's farm in Hebron. He attended a two-room schoolhouse through eighth grade and graduated from Windham High School in 1934 at age 16. In 1938 he received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Connecticut, where he also played on the baseball team. He received an MS from Pennsylvania State University and a PhD from Oklahoma State University on a grant from NASA. He worked at Pratt and Whitney during World War II, then took a professorship at UCONN, where he taught mechanical engineering for 37 years. Win took great joy in teaching and was proud of his alma mater, remaining active as an emeritus professor long after his retirement. Winthrop married Dolores (nee Tondat) at the Storrs Congregational Church on March 5, 1949. Together they raised their three daughters in a house he built himself in Storrs, where he tended an abundant garden into his 90s. Win and Dolores were founding members and longtime congregants of the Unitarian Fellowship in Storrs. In addition to his devotion to his family, he was an active member of the American Society of Engineering Education and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers where he served as an officer in the Hartford Chapter. He was a member of Joshua's Trust and gave tours of the Gurleyville Grist Mill for many years. Winthrop is survived by his wife Dolores Hilding of Storrs; his three daughters Sherry Hilding of Storrs, Nancy Hilding and her husband Dr. Steven Hata of Rapid City, SD, and Alison Hilding and her husband Eugene Salorio of Storrs; five beloved grandchildren, Dr. Sarah Hilding, David Salorio, Samuel Salorio, Abraham Hilding Salorio and Emmanuel Hilding Salorio; his sister, Alberta C. Hilding of Hebron; his nieces and nephews Pamela Gerber Mellor, Edward Hilding Gerber, William Ray Tondat, and Lynne Marie Ruggeri. He was predeceased by his sister, Lois Hilding Gerber and her husband Dr. Edward Gerber, of Southbury; and his brother-in-law Julius Joseph Tondat. A memorial service will be held at Storrs Congregational Church, 2 N. Eagleville Rd., Storrs, CT 06269 on Monday, January 2, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Winthrop and Dolores Hilding Endowed Scholarship (acct # 30975) or the Winthrop Hilding Undergraduate Scholarship in Engineering (acct # 31016) established by his former graduate student Dr. Han Hwangbo, with checks so annotated and payable to the UCONN Foundation, address; The UCONN Foundation 2390 Alumni Drive, Unit 3206 Storrs, CT 06269, or memorial contributions may be made to Joshua's Trust in Storrs, CT. To sign the online memorial guestbook, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com