Douglas Edwin Wilhelm Sr.

On May 18, 2024, Douglas Edwin Wilhelm, Sr. peacefully passed away too soon, surrounded by loved ones. He was the cherished husband of M. Diane (nee Schoenberger) Wilhelm for 56 years and the devoted and loving father of Deborah L. (nee Wilhelm) Price and her fiancé Bradley H. Wikle, Donna M. Wilhelm and her fiancé James E. Dry, and the late Douglas E. Wilhelm, Jr.
Douglas was the beloved son of the late James R. Wilhelm and Bessie (nee Griffin) Wilhelm. He was predeceased by his brothers, James Wilhelm, Samuel Wilhelm and his former late wife Pat. He shared a special bond with his wife's family and was predeceased by his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Richard and Elma "Petey" (nee Burkins) Schoenberger, as well as his brother-in-law Ronald Schoenberger and his late wife Shirley. He is survived by several loving nieces, nephews, cousins, sister-in-law, and dear friends.
Douglas was born on February 19, 1944, and grew up in the Govan's area of Baltimore. He attended Govan's Elementary and then Woodbourne Junior High School. Douglas graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in 1962.
In January of 1965, he enlisted in the army national guard with strong encouragement from his brother, Sam and served until October 1970, as an artillery surveyor. Upon honorable discharge, Douglas began a 40 plus year career in land surveying with Whitman Requardt & Associates LLP and later Daft McCune Walker.
While serving in the National Guard, Doug met Diane during Duckpin League bowling. Doug told his buddies "That's the girl I'm going to marry." He quickly captured her attention, although she was engaged to another. Their first date was January 3, 1967, wherein they saw Dr. Zhivago on the big screen. Doug asked for her hand 21 days later. On his birthday of that same year, he asked "Petey" for approval. The ring showed up in March and on October 14, 1967, they were wed. They have been happily married for 56 years.
They bought their first house in the summer of 1968 where they currently reside. On October 19, 1968, they welcomed their first child, Douglas Edwin Jr. who unfortunately passed away on December 28, 1968, due to heart complications. Fortunately, their first daughter was not far behind. Debbie was born in November of 1970. Finally, to complete the family, Donna was born in May of 1973.
Douglas was known for his wit, great sense of humor, and always had an engaging story to tell. He had a knack for delivering a good joke and his punchlines were always on time. Doug enjoyed photography and golf in his early years and was an avid history buff. Sitting on the back porch drinking coffee and throwing nuts to both birds and squirrels became a favorite pastime. As an air and space enthusiast, he found joy and excitement attending various airshows, always looking to the sky.
A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at Kenwood Presbyterian Church. The church will be open at 10:00am for visitation with the family. The service will start at 11:00am. Immediately following the service, you are invited to join the family for light refreshments in the fellowship hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Kenwood Presbyterian Church (www.kenwoodpresbyterianchurch.org).
Kenwood Presbyterian Church
4601 Fullerton Avenue
Baltimore, Maryland 21236