JOANNE WILDER

WILDER
JOANNE ROSS
Joanne Ross Wilder, longtime Pittsburgh matrimonial lawyer, died peacefully, surrounded by her family and her two cats, in her home, in Pittsburgh, on November 14, after a brief illness. She was a longtime fierce advocate for the rights of women. She had a quick wit that could range from the acerb to the simply funny, and everything in between, that could at once entertain and sometimes devastate others. She was a longtime member and supporter of Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside. She was a member of the Twentieth Century Club, and the Pittsburgh Athletic Association, and had passion for cooking (her husband, son, and many others will attest to her ability to prepare incredibly elegant and delicious meals), for Haitian art, and for English history, and has written about and lectured on the wives of Henry the Eighth, among other things. She was a supporter of several art museums, both in Pittsburgh and in a number of cities across the country. She was a 1969 graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law, and practiced law in Pittsburgh for over 40 years, up until a few days ago. She was the author of West's Pennsylvania Family Law Practice and Procedure, a leading treatise on family law in Pennsylvania, now in its seventh edition, and was for many years an Adjunct Professor of Family Law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Ms. Wilder has been listed in every edition of The Best Lawyers in America. She was named Pro Bono Attorney of the Year by the Westmoreland County Bar Association in 2010. She was born Joanne Elizabeth Ross to Howard and Ellen Ross in Rochester, NY, and grew up in Baltimore, MD. She is survived by her husband, Bruce Wilder, and their son Charlie; by her brother, David Ross of Charlottesville, VA; two sisters, Cynthia Ross of Plainfield, VT, and Diana Henne of Chambersburg, PA, and two nieces, Jennifer Ross, and Miranda Henne. A memorial service will be held at Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside on November 29 at 11:00 a.m. Contributions to Calvary Episcopal Church, or to the Equal Justice Campaign are suggested. Arrangements by D'ALESSANDRO FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY, LTD., Lawrenceville.
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