John W. Wilhelm Jr.

John W. Wilhelm, Jr., aged 86, passed away peacefully on February 5, 2026. He is survived by his wife of 62 wonderful years, Virginia A. Wilhelm (Amstutz) and their three children: Karen Howard (Stu), James Wilhelm (Ann), and Kristen Carroll (Bill). He was called GP by his grandchildren: Jack (Morgan) and Emma Howard, Kate and Jake Carroll, Charlie and Quinn Wilhelm. The family was fortunate to spend many spring breaks together in Florida and Christmases in Cleveland. John took every opportunity to tell his children and grandchildren how proud he was of them and how he loved that they enjoyed each other's company.

John was born on April 11, 1939, to John and Kathleen Wilhelm. He is predeceased by his parents and his brother, James. He attended Brush High School, Dartmouth College, and received an MBA from Case Western Reserve University. John and Ginny met in October of 1962 and were married the following July, having seen each other every day during that time. In fact, after their marriage, they spent every night together until Ginny went to help Karen after the birth of their first grandchild in 1995.

After graduating college, John joined his father at Skidmore-Wilhelm Manufacturing Co. and ran the business for the duration of his career. He was proud of the fact that their small company created a product, the bolt tension calibrator, that was sold worldwide. (Google it!) John was an advocate of public education, serving 16 years on the Board of Education for Orange City Schools, even after his children had graduated.

John and Ginny loved to travel and play golf. They especially enjoyed the many golf trips they took with dear friends, including a 37-year streak of playing at Oglebay Park in West Virginia. He was a lifelong member of The Country Club, where he and Ginny loved to spend time with friends on the golf course and at various social activities.

John loved all things Cleveland, from the Playhouse and the Symphony to every sports team. He and Ginny attended the Browns' 1964 Championship game and the Cavs' 2016 Victory Parade. He was quick with a joke or a sarcastic remark. He loved classic movies like Casablanca and The Graduate. He was a history buff and an avid reader. He and Ginny were members of many groups including bridge club, Playreaders, and book club. He liked to dispense pearls of wisdom to his children and grandchildren with his favorite quote being "Remember, let's be careful out there!"

A Celebration of Life will be held this summer.