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James Wyler Obituary
James (Jim) was born on Nov. 15, 1928, in Akron to the late Wilbur and Mary (Mueller) Wyler. Jim graduated from St. Vincent Grade School and High School; and held a B.A. from The University of Akron and a M.A. in German from Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vt. Jim loved languages and spoke several fluently. He also loved to travel.
Jim was a U.S. veteran and served in the Korean War. After the war, he was employed by Western Union traveling throughout the U.S. He then worked for Radio Free Europe and lived in Munich, Germany for 10 years. Upon returning to the U.S., he was employed by Akron Public Schools. He taught history and various languages at Litchfield Junior High and Firestone High School. Additionally, Jim taught several languages at The University of Akron where he worked until his death.
Jim was preceded in death by his brothers, Wilbur Jr. (Salem, Ore.), Donald (Indianapolis, Ind.), and sisters, Rosalie Tobin (Akron, Ohio), Kathleen Bowers (Mogadore, Ohio) and Alicia Wyler (Akron, Ohio). He is survived by his brother, John Wyler (N. Canton, Ohio) and Kristine Wyler (N. Canton, Ohio).
Fr. Kracker will celebrate Mass of Christian Burial on Monday Jan. 17, 2011 at 10 a.m. at St. Vincent Catholic Church, Akron, Ohio. Private inurnment will be held at Holy Cross Cemetery. Friends will be received on Sunday, Jan. 16, from 1 until 5 at the Ciriello and Carr Funeral Home (39 S. Miller Rd., Fairlawn, OH 44333). Condolences and memories may be shared at www.ohio.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Fr. Corrigan Tuition Assistance Fund at St. Vincent Catholic Church, 164 W. Market St., Akron, OH 44303.
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Memories and Condolences
for James Wyler
Christina M Dearing
January 9, 2024
Herr Wyler, I think of you all of the time. I thank you for your service and for your amazing talent with language. I am still fascinated by the way you could switch back and for from English, German, and French in your conversations with other professors and students. You are forever in my heart! Thank you sir for being you!
david gruccio
January 12, 2023
If i needed another valid compelling reason to be a good person there is no more relevant example of those basic qualities than what James Wyler possessed in abundance. "Goodness" was the most noteworthy trait that made so many others like him. If anybody needed a twin brother or three triplet siblings here it was. l often began many years ago to wonder what type of person would Jim have become had he been a social worker. Personality tranquility might have been out of reach for so many of his aspirations but he did not disappoint people. I wanted to be like Jim Wyler.
Christina
January 8, 2023
Herr Wyler, I will always remember you and knowledge along with the wisdom you shared with me personally outside of the classroom. I am grateful you were able to travel one last time to one of your favorite places before you left us here on earth. I think of you often. Thank you. Love Christina
david gruccio
January 8, 2021
If there was a personality suitable for Peace Corps work Jim had it in abundance. If there was a personality suitable for helping people - young and old - acquire some form of solid learning that he was in a position to teach them to learn Jim had it also in abundance. Jim was charitable and kind and personable in a way that made people like him. He was pleasant and socially engaging and helpful to the extent that many of us wondered how well would he perform duties as a social worker or school counselor. Inspirational for giving people encouragement to study a foreign language for sure - there was no question about those characteristics which lowered barriers between people and encouraged people to like him for his willingness to help them. Yet his magnificence as a human being went beyond that for his humanity. I can recall several encounters with JIm when he displayed qualities we would like to see others possess and utilize for helping others and to like themselves and him for obvious reasons.I received much guidance and assistance in my efforts to come to terms with German and French and Italian languages.Yet his contribution to my life went beyond those qualities. If you needed a reason to live and attend school Jim would provide it. His social relationships with my family were superb and wonderful for all concerned.
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January 8, 2020
He introduced me to the German language. So patient with beginner's pronunciation. Forever grateful.
david gruccio
January 8, 2020
When look at my collection of books today I see things that Jim might have wanted to read if he had not already known about them. If not already said in previous commentary Jim was inspirational in being a friend and most serious companion of people in my family who worked with him and others in schools. He became a companion of my mother and father for sure with their involvement in so many aspects of education and learning.
Lori Wyler
January 29, 2011
After reading the entries on here I have to say that I am deeply moved by the strong connection to and positive influence Uncle Jim had on so many students and friends lives. This was a side of him that I unfortunately didn't get a chance to know but I'm very happy to hear that he touched so many lives while on this earth. I am also glad that he spent his last weeks in one of his favorite places, enjoying what he loved, surrounded by wonderful friends.
Lori Wyler
January 29, 2011
May you rest in peace and know that you were loved and cared for by us all.
God Bless.
January 27, 2011
I can enumerate several reasons to thank Jim Wyler for his contribution to my life. Thirty or more years ago Jim Wyler was an inspiration for me developing and following certain intellectual interests. The same can be said about my sister. Thanks Jim Wyler for teaching me how to like people. Thanks for attending dinner at my family home on so many occasions when I was a student at school and looking for a model of good behavoir to follow in deciding which classes to take. You motivated me to continue my interests to study at least three foreign languages in depth and to travel to Europe. Thanks so much for becoming a cherished colleage of my mother in Akron City Schools where both of them taught languages together for many years. Most important for me to declare now is the simple statement that I remember Jim Wyler because he liked people. So many people admired and respected Jim Wyler for allowing his personality to include the many characteristics which I have mentioned in earlier statements about his most valuable contributions me and to others. Jim Wyler went to far away places to show others that he wanted to learn to like people from Spain, Italy and France and several other places in Europe. He talked with me when I travelled to Europe. These special experiences in my life were regular topics for Jim to talk with me about and he was most willing and talented to do so. He went long distances to bring others to like what he did so well, that is display a curiosity about other lands and their languages. A pleasant demeanor was perhaps his most rewarding personal trait that certainly for me and others became a wonderful characteristic that I will recall fondly to make his intellectual interests become so important as compelling reasons to appreciate his mature, tangible and positive attitude about teaching and learning these topics. Jim Wyler became a model of displaying enormous curiosity about specific parts of Europe for my family - espeially for me, my mother and sister. I believe that my father admired him for doing what he did so well in this regard. When my sister and I were young adults we ate dinner many times and talked with Jim about these topics when he was a guest at our family home. My sister and I knew him in this regard as a happy curious person with many intellectual interests who wanted to share his enthusiam with others for just talking about these places in Europe. He was willing to explore new topics just to have something to talk about with people who shared his curiosity about these places in Europe. He took this curiosity in many directions for learning about the music and art from these countries. Jim liked classical music and that fact of life for me was enough of a reason for liking him! There was no limit to his interest in making these explorations. This is why I recall Jim Wyler and continue to have cherished memories of his life here. So much more can and should be said about his valuable contribution to the education of children who were his students at school. He as good teacher and for this reason he needs to be remembered. Adult students at the University of Akron also had many good things to say about being in his classes to learn German when he was a part time teacher. I will let those people speak about that part of his life.
January 26, 2011
For me and many others the rewarding personal characeristic about Jim Wyler was his friendly disposition and cheerful personality. Most noticeable also was a tremendous curiosity to discover and discuss new thing as well as a desire to venerate those cultural accomplishments that often received far less respect than what they deserve. For me there was a smile that never seemed to vanish. Breaking the ice with Jim was easy since he did not follow many of those traditional rules. He often turned what might have been moments for making small talk into substantial conversations about his and our favorite subjects often dealing with European countries, their languages and history. Yes he was a person with intellectual interests. He was always interested in learning serious things and he often gladly communicated that basic curiosity and enthusiasm to many people by letting them share their knowledge about those places. For prtomoting the advantages of learning languages school needed people like Jim Wyler and still could benefit from his talents if he had not passed away. Memory of his positive contribution to education should be commemorated with a greater tribute than is possible with this brief euology. Enough said!I will miss him.
January 24, 2011
I do not know for sure how to start composing this eulogy. It might be said that Jim Wyler was crucial in turning me in the direction of learning and becoming interested in studying certain European countries. I might say also that he was responsable for me becoming what I did turn out to be - a serious but happy student of Germany, France, Spain and Italy during the last part of the preceding century For about thirty or perhaps forty or more years I knew Jim Wyler He slowly became and was a soure of great inspiration for me to continue learning about foreign countries in Europe and their many languages. Since he was teacher at two public schools I became acquainted with his style of teaching. He was a building block for my personal deveopment as an adult. He was a colleague of many public school teachers who knew me. He was a source of great intellectual inspiration to motivate me to continue doing what I thought was the best for me to do - namely study languages and learn important things about certain foreign countries. He became a welcomed guest at our family home for dinner and just stimulating discussion about music and art and various topics. I knew him as a fellow student but also as a teacher since he was inter-twined with various conversational groups made up of people who treasured his knowledge and personal happiness about European lands. When he visited our house he was more than a guest. He supplied us with knowledge about various topics and reasons for studying those topics. Many beams of light shone through his visits to my home. My mother and father knew and respected him for his enthusiasm for teaching languages and his willingness to discuss those topics at the drop of a hat. I do fondly remember talking with him at the West Side Market and seeing films and hearing concerts at other locations. He motivated me to study things that he and I considered to be important to know. His knowledge was vast about these topics and he was willing to venture into new fields of knowledge just for a chance to begin studying a new vocabulary in order to know something new about that country. An example would be French engineering principles used to to build the old fortifications in Western Europe four hundred years or so ago. He and I talked about these events and located them on a map. I am sure that there was a similar intellectual connection with Jim and people who valued his knowledge. He would follow people who had much more knowledge about these different topics down the pathway for learning something new and meet that person along the way for encouragement or at the finish line for another chance to share new information in a valuable discussion that often lead to lastng friendships and further discussion. It for me was a most valuable way for inspiring people to pursue their interests. There was a cheerfulness and happiness about Jim Wyler's personality to connect with many people and to fortify his simple enthuiasm for for learning languages. He transferred that happiness to other people. I remember and value his happy personality as a source of motivation for getting a degree in French and Spanish. As the population is often segmented out by what people like to talk about it was good and easy to know beforehand that you could break the ice with Jim Wy;er by beginning a discussion about many foreign languages and European countries without any need to ask him about other more banal things. Jim Wyler was a good spokesperson for learning languages and history or classical music. This is why he was valuable for me to know. I was greatly saddened to know about his death and I said as much at the funeral home to members of his family. His visits to Europe were a source of inspiration for me and others. If you needed a person to motivate young and old students to take intellectual investigations of foreign countries of Europe seriously by learning their languages there was not a better person to do this than Jim Wyler. I and others will miss him.
Dee Shidler
January 19, 2011
Christine
So sorry to learn of Jim's death. He was my German teacher at Akron U. and a very caring teacher of older students like myself. He encouraged me to enjoy German . He taught us so much about the country. You have my sincere sympathy.
Dave Stith
January 17, 2011
vielen Danke Herr Wyler
January 17, 2011
Ich werde Jim sehr vermissen! TG
January 2nd 2011, Spain
Clara Montañés
January 17, 2011
Christina Dearing
January 16, 2011
To Herr Wyler's family; I know that James touched the lives of many, and for the better. My personal favorite was the way that he stood out in the hallway with us before class, talking with us and teaching us, as we waited for our classroom to empty out. I will always remember his smile and his playful way of interacting with our class and I will miss sharing granola bars with him in his office where he often tutored me.
To Herr Wyler,
Auf Wiedersehen mein Lehrer und Freund. Ich werde Sie verpassen und ich werde jeden Moment wir haben gehabt zusammen und jede Lektion schätzen, die ich von Ihnen genommen hat. Ich liebe Sie und ich vielen Dank für eine wunderbare Erfahrung in deutscher Klasse.
Christina Dearing, University of Akron Student
Dave Aberth
January 16, 2011
My success and amiration of German was due to Herr Wyler. He was tough but a great teacher. It was easy to note his passion for the language and his overall knowledge of Europe, among other areas. He was truly an inspiring man and wonderful educator. Dave Aberth
New year`s eve in Barcelona
Clara Montañés
January 16, 2011
Alex and Spiros, his friend from Bourdeaux
Clara Montañés
January 16, 2011
With his friend Spiros in Barcelona
Clara Montañés
January 16, 2011
Ann Carpenter
January 16, 2011
Jim was a memorable person during my high school years. As faculty at a college I could only hope to have students remember me as others do him. My prayers to his family.
Nina Gionti
January 16, 2011
I enjoyed many lively conversations with Mr. Wyler on his daily visits to West Point Market. Mr. Wyler was a great story teller. He was a fine man and shall be missed. He would be happy with the picture you chose for his obituary. Sweet. I felt honored to have known him and am happy he was able to visit Europe this past holiday-he loved his visits to Europe.
January 16, 2011
Uncle Jim has been an inspiration to all of his nieces and nephews. His love of knowledge, travel, and additionally his devotion to God and his earthly family is commendable. We will truly miss him. What a reunion in heaven there was! We'll miss you Uncle Jim!
January 16, 2011
We praise God for the life and service of our veteran. May he rest in peace in the arms of our Lord as a grateful nation mourns.
Michele N. Sandridge, Chaplain
American Legion Auxiliary
Department of Ohio
Lori Snaith
January 15, 2011
I had Monsieur Wyler for 8th grade French at Litchfield in 1974, and he not only taught us how to speak in a foreign language, but he inculcated us with a sense of the power of words, the beauty of literature, instilled in us a desire to travel, and even to understand grammar! He was a remarkable teacher, and I've thought about him so often over the years. Sending my warmest wishes and most sincere condolences to his family and friends--
Jeremiah Nichols
January 15, 2011
I got to know Mr. Wyler during my tenure at West Point Market and through doing some lawn work at his home. He was truly a special person and his love of cultures was amazing. I also used to see him at the University of Akron at different times. He will be missed, rest in peace.
Spyros et Alexandra Kranias
January 15, 2011
Cher Jim,
Tu es là au fond de nos coeurs et tu le resteras jusqu'à notre dernier souffle.
Filika
Patty Kilgore
January 15, 2011
Dear Kris and Jack,
My memories of Jim include his love of art and music and his voice. May the peace that only God can give be yours. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.
January 15, 2011
I was lucky enough to have Herr Wyler as a teacher at Litchfield and as a next door neighbor as an adult. Best of both worlds shared with a great man. He will truly be missed. Scott Fish, SW Florida
Julie Hall
January 15, 2011
Au revoir Monsieur Wyler. Be at peace.
Peter Cochran
January 15, 2011
Herr Wyler, a friend, mentor and teacher to many. Jim's friendship and guidance will always be remembered as will his many lessons in and out of the classroom that had little to do with language but a lot to do with life. Jim was was one of my closest and dearest friends and will be terribly missed.
Ciao Jim!
Pat Moore
January 15, 2011
I have very fond memories of Mr. Wyler. He taught with great enthusiasm and he loved all of his student. Il nous a enseigne l'histoire du Quasimodo.
Richard Rouser
January 15, 2011
He was one of the greatest professor I ever had. I returned to The University of Akron to complete my degree, when I was 30, that was about 10 years ago, and Herr Wyler was one of my first professors upon returning. He was awesome, a lot of the younger students liked to complain about his strict teaching habits, but I enjoyed it. I would often come to class in my work clothes and Jim recognized where I worked, which is a garden center in Akron, Ohio, so often after class we would talk about plants and gardening. This eventually turned into a friendship and I would look forward to seeing Jim every spring at the store. I will never forget the time he called me at work, from Paris, to see if I could go to his house and check his flowers. Jim was a great man and will be deeply missed.
A.J. Amir
January 14, 2011
One of the best....
Michael Hauber
January 14, 2011
In memory of a fellow teacher in the Akron Public Schools.
Tom Allread
January 14, 2011
I was a student of Herr Wyler's for 3 years at Litchfield Jr. High (Ohio History & German). I always considered Jim my favorite teacher. His passion for teaching was unparalled. He attended my wedding and we would occasionally cross paths at Acme. I always enjoyed receiving postcards from his travels. He will be missed.
Amy Matthews-Spencer
January 14, 2011
In Memory of a great teacher:
Herr Wyler wird Vermisst. Er war ein wundebarer Lehrer. Ich bedauere Ihren Verlust. Gott-Geschwindigkeit Herr Wyler.
In our hearts forever.
Graham Edwards
January 14, 2011
He was easily one of the greatest teachers this world has seen. He's the reason I'm a translator today.
I always looked forward to having German class with him and our conversations after class about his life.
Even in death, his memory will live on.
Eileen Lambert
January 14, 2011
Auf Wiedesehen Herr Wyler. I had the pleasure of being taught the German language by him in high school. I came to know that his bark was far worse than his bite. He had a kind heart and will be greatly missed.
January 14, 2011
Jack and Kris,
Our deepest sympathy on the loss of your older brother. The picture you picked is wonderful. He was smiling most of the time and that is how I remember him. His wonderful piano recitals in the livingroom where Alicia, Kris and I sat, carefully on your mothers beautiful couch, was wonderful. I often thought how does he know what keys to touch so fast and sound so beautiful.
God Bless....Pat, Barb and our 8 children
January 14, 2011
Kristine,
I am so sorry to hear that Jim passed away. Our prayers are with you
and your family.
Marilyn Bowers Brocco and Family
Herman Jara Droguett
January 14, 2011
I would like to express my deepest condolences to Mr. Wyler's family. I had the pleasure of speaking with Jim on many occasions, as we bumped into each other at the UA modern languages office. He always had a great attitude towards life and his work, and I'm so impressed to learn about his accomplishments described on this obituary. I guess humility was one of his greatest attributes. Mr. Wyler will be greatly missed. Herman Jara-Droguett.
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