ROBERT WILKE

WILKE, ROBERT J. “BOB” Robert J. “Bob” Wilke, age 88, of North Haven , beloved husband of Eileen Wilke, peacefully passed away at home on Aug. 9, 2014, after a lengthy illness. Mr. Wilke was born on Sept. 22,1925, in Springfield, MA, a son of the late Elmer and Helen Dowd Wilke. He attended West Haven High School and in 1952 earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University, and, in 1958, an MBA from the University of Connecticut. Bob proudly served his country in WWII as a member of the US Army 86th Black Hawk Division of the Combat Infantrymen’s Assoc. He was Vice President of Trust at Second New Haven Bank and Vice President of the Attleboro office of Durfee Attleboro Bank in Massachusetts for ten years until his retirement. Extremely active in his community, Bob touched many lives with his involvement in various charities and organizations. He was a Certified Financial Planner and volunteered his services to many individuals for several years. Past Chairman of the Board of The American Heart Assoc. in New Haven, he also was Finance Chairman and Treasurer of the United Way in Attleboro, as well as Attleboro’s Rotary Club’s Treasurer. Bob also served on the Advisory Board for the Dept. of Aging of South Central CT and was the past Treasurer of The International Student Center of New Haven and High Lane Club in Hamden. He was an active member of both The Yale Club of New Haven and New York. In addition to being an avid reader, traveler and lifelong sports enthusiast, Bob enjoyed tennis at High Lane Club for many years and cherished his time spent with both friends and family. Bob is survived by his wife of 60 years, the former Eileen Barry Wilke, as well as two children; David M.Wilke and his wife Lauren of Algonquin, IL, and Pamela Cassidy and her husband Peter of Wellesley,MA. He also leaves seven grandchildren whom he loved dearly; Caitlyn, Tynan, Kara ,Bryn, Ian Wilke, and Connor and Ryan Cassidy and a sister Eileen Fulton and her husband William of West Milford,NJ. He was predeceased by a brother John P. Wilke. Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday morning at 11:00 in Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, 2819 Whitney Ave., Hamden. Burial will be private. Visiting hours will be held Tuesday morning prior to the Mass from 9:00 until 10:30 at Sisk Brothers Funeral Home, 3105 Whitney Ave., Hamden. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob’s memory may be made to The American Heart Assoc. PO Box 417005, Boston,MA, 02241-7805 ( www.heart.org) or the American Cancer Society, 825 Brook St., I 91 Tech Center, Rocky Hill, CT 06067( www.cancer.org/donation). Online condolences may be made at www.siskbrothers.com