K. Lee Wilder

I met Lee & Dorla when I worked at CJ's in Pekin. What a beautiful love story. He was truly one of the kindest men I've ever met. My sympathies to all the family.

Lee was pure class. I met Lee in the late 70s when we both worked in East Peoria - Lee in bldg TT and me in X. He was in HR, and I remember a memo he wrote to the plant manager describing the dingy, crummy state of TT and X-2 (it looked like it hadn't been touched since WWII.) I thought "This guy is toast, writing a hard hitting letter denigrating the buildings to his boss' boss." But he flourished and gained the respect and admiration of a lot of the people he worked with. We stayed in contact throughout my career and beyond. He helped us organize a reunion of the original Electronics Engineers in Bldg X, and the dozens (hundreds?) that followed us.
Lee truly cared about people. When our son passed away in 2001 from leukemia, Lee was there, comforting and consoling us.
I will *always* remember Lee - his kindness, his compassion, his genuine class. Heaven is a better place with Lee there, but he's left a void in this world that will be very hard to fill.

To his family, my sincere condolences, and may you be comforted and blessed knowing the difference Lee made in so many lives.

Prayers of comfort and peace to the family. Rest in power my friend.

I first met Lee in the late 1950's when he worked for Preston's as I also did part-time and was a nephew of Towland Preston. Later in his career at Catapiller he became my mother's boss. Like his cards he remember many people and even accepted and served as a pall bearer at her funeral..something I always remembered.

David Diepenbrock

My sincere condolences to Dorla and Lee´s family. What a thoughtful and wonderful life he had. We could all learn much from his ideals and compassion.