Dr. Warren Norman Wilbert

Dr. Warren Norman Wilbert, 88, of Fort Wayne, IN, died peacefully on Wednesday, January 20, 2016, at Harbour Assisted Living, Fort Wayne. Born on February 23, 1927, in Kohler, WI, he was the son of the late Norman and Elizabeth (Born) Wilbert. Warren was raised in Kohler, WI, and attended Kohler Public Schools; Concordia Lutheran Prep School (now CUW), Milwaukee, WI; Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO; and Concordia Teachers College, Seward, NE. His post graduate education earned an M.A. degree at the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Adult and Continuing Education at Indiana University. His post-doctoral work in Continuing Education was completed at Oxford University. He served at St. Louis radio station KFUO as pianist; Detroit Lutheran High School, Detroit, MI, as teacher, choir director, and coach; Concordia University Nebraska (prep school) as teacher and coach; and the Springfield-Fort Wayne Concordia Seminary from 1958 to 1986 as Athletic Director, Director of Financial Aid, Associate Dean of Student Personnel Services, and Professor of Adult Christian Education. His 1967-68 sabbatical was spent in Vienna, Austria, where he lived with his family and taught at the American International School. In 1977, he was the recipient of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod's John Behnken Fellowship, awarded for the development of the first comprehensive program of Continuing Theological Education at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN. He authored two Adult Christian Education books during his tenure at the seminary. Dr. Wilbert accepted a call in 1986 to Concordia University, Ann Arbor, as Dean of Adult Education, initiating and directing the institution's adult degree completion programming until his retirement in 1996. Throughout his life, he was an enthusiastic fan of the Chicago White Sox and the Green Bay Packers. In particular, as an avid baseball fan, he turned to researching and writing about baseball during his retirement, authoring more than 12 books and numerous articles about the history and origins of professional baseball. In 2003, he was voted winner of the Robert Peterson Recognition Award by the Negro Leagues Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), of which he was a member, for his book "The Best of Baseball" which increased the public's awareness of the Negro Baseball Leagues. He was an active member and speaker for the Fort Wayne, IN, SABR chapter. His lifetime involvement in church work at the local parish level saw him as his congregation's music and education program advisor, teacher, choral director, organist, or Sunday School Superintendent. In Fort Wayne, IN, Dr. Wilbert was a member of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, which he served in various capacities in its adult education programming and on its Board of Directors. An avid Classical and Jazz music lover, he found great joy in attending Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran High School, St. Louis Lutheran North High School, and area Philharmonic musical performances. In 2010, he was inducted into the Concordia University Nebraska's Athletic Hall of Fame for accomplishments during his tenure there as coach. As a lifetime travel buff, he toured Europe and the United States extensively. In 2012, he made his final tour of Europe to return to Austria, Germany, and England. His favorite U.S. travel destinations were Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Florida, which he last visited in 2014 and 2015 respectively. He is survived by daughters Karen Reynolds of Plano, TX and Ellen (David) Ahlersmeyer of Fort Wayne; grandsons Matthew Reynolds, Jacob (Kathleen) Macke, Joshua (Anna) Macke, Alan (Kira) Murphy, Jeffrey (Amanda) Macke, and Justin Macke; granddaughters Erin Reynolds (Robby Helms), Jessica (Jeremy) Klopfenstein, Julie (Jeramiah) Hale, Liz Murphy, and Erin Murphy; great-grandchildren Ethan and Carson Hale, Owen and Norah Macke, Luke and Elizabeth Macke, and Isaiah Macke; and his brother William (Margaret) Wilbert of Algoma, WI. His wife of 53 years, Virginia (Kuhlman), preceded him in death in 2003. Also preceding him in death were his daughters Susan Wilbert and Diann Murphy, and son-in-law Kelly Reynolds. Service is 11 a.m. Monday, January 25, 2016, at St. Peter Lutheran Church, 7710 E. State Blvd., Fort Wayne, with calling one hour prior. Burial at Kohler Cemetery, Kohler, WI. In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. Peter's Lutheran Church Building Fund, Concordia Lutheran High School Music Department, KFUO Radio, and Concordia University, Seward, NE.