Name: Visitation for Gene Wolfe
Start: 2019-04-18T17:00:00.000Z
End: 2019-04-18T19:00:00.000Z
Location: Wright & Salmon Mortuary - Peoria

Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe, of Peoria, formerly of Barrington, IL, one of the world's most respected contemporary science fiction authors, passed away Sunday, April 14, 2019 after his long battle with heart disease. Wolfe was 87. He was born on May 5, 1931 in New York, NY and married Rosemary F. Wolfe on November 3, 1956.
Wolfe is survived by his daughters Madeleine (Dan) Fellers of Mountain Home, AR, Therese (Alan) Goulding of Woodridge, IL, son, Matthew Wolfe of Atlanta, GA and 3 granddaughters, Rebecca (Spizzirri), Elizabeth (Goulding) and Alison (Goulding).
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Rosemary F. Wolfe and son Roy E. Wolfe.
Friends knew Wolfe as a humble, soft-spoken man who enjoyed a good joke. He kept a low profile in Peoria, giving talks and readings locally every few years. He never sought publicity, though always obliging reporters for interviews.
A Funeral Service will be at 2:00 PM on Thursday, April 18, 2019 at Wright & Salmon Mortuary, with a 2 hour prior visitation, beginning at noon. Fr. David Richardson will officiate. A burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in West Peoria, IL.
Memorials in Wolfe's name, may be made to American Heart Association.
Friends may sign the online guestbook or send condolences to www.wrightandsalmon.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Peoria Journal Star from Apr. 15 to Apr. 17, 2019.

Memories and Condolences
for Gene Wolfe

Sponsored by Wright & Salmon Mortuary - Peoria.

11 Entries

April 27, 2019

A thousand ages, in thy sight,
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night,
before the rising sun.

April 22, 2019

May the love of friends and family carry you through your grief.

Vicki Steger

April 18, 2019

Gene was kind, brilliant, witty, and of course one of the best writers our country ever produced. I had the privilege of knowing him for the past several years. Always the gentleman he would become irritated if you tried to pick the check in a restaurant. My husband and I would drive five hours to have lunch with him and listen to him tell stories. He was truly one of kind. I will miss our conversations about everything from serving in Korea, his children growing up and rescuing a lost nun . I never knew a man who adored his wife more than Gene adored Rosemary. I am happy they are together once more. Rest in peace dear friend you are missed by all those whose lives were touched by you.

Zulfiqar Ali

April 18, 2019

I discovered Mr Wolfe as an 18 years old, in 1980, with the publication of The Shadow of the Torturer and became a long-long fan. I always found his work spoke to me at the deepest level. Last Monday, I had just got to the end of Chapter 28 of The Wizard (The Wizard Knight), did a web search of Mr Wolfe's name to see the latest title published & was heart-broken to learn of his death the day before. The news was as shocking as if I had lost a dear member of my own family, he had been such a beloved presence in my life: I turned 57 last month. To think: no more new works by Gene Wolfe. I can't imagine anything sadder. My deepest and heartfelt condolences to his family at their great loss. Know that Mr Wolfe was loved the world over, across continents, across religions and races, by people he never knew, but with whom he shared a wonderful bond through his works, and I can't think of a higher praise. I was born in Kashmir, have lived in Birmingham, UK, since the early 1970s, and work as a Librarian for the last 30 years. Mr Wolfe gave expression to the voices of my soul through his books. Whatever he wrote about - whatever subject or topic - he made his own. People talk about the archaic and complex language he employed. I never had that issue. I was always dazzled by his language, there was deep poetry in his writings. What few people have spoken of is the skill - the talent - Mr Wolfe had of expressing profoundly complex concepts and emotions in (at times) deceptively plain language (I am thinking of the Latro novels, for instance). He made Ancient Egypt come alive for me and I am sure I am not the only one. I did see Mr Wolfe, from the doorway of Andromeda Book Store, in Suffolk Street, when he was a guest at the science fiction convention the city of Birmingham hosted in the early 1980s. He was book signing (I think The Citadel of the Autarch had just been released), along with Frank Herbert, Robert Silverberg & Terry Pritchett (who had just released The Colour of Magic).
Mr Wolfe touched people's lives and changed them in ways he probably never even knew.
I am one such person.
Rest In Peace, Gene Wolfe.
May your God receive you with open arms (Amen).

Jean Rabe

Sent Flowers

April 17, 2019

Book signing, Cockeysville, Md, Memorial Day weekend, 2009.

Stephen Johnson

April 16, 2019

A great writer -- I was privileged to see him give readings from some of his books over the years and autograph my copies. My heartfelt condolences to his family.

Thomas Doherty

Sent Flowers

Tom Ripp

April 16, 2019

Our heartfelt sympathies go out to you during this difficult time!

Jeff Broderick

April 15, 2019

Gene Wolfe was my favorite author, and in my opinion, one of the finest writers who ever lived. His works challenged me, inspired me, thrilled me, terrified me, and made me cry - something no other author has been able to do. Through his books, I felt I knew him, even though I never met him. I have lived in Japan for the past 20 years, otherwise I would have made every effort to meet him at a convention or other event. As it is, I deeply regret not having the chance to speak to him, even just a few words of thanks.
As much as I feel that I knew him in some way, my heart goes out to his family and friends who must be mourning his loss terribly. I hope that they will take comfort in the way that he touched the lives of thousands upon thousands of people around the world.
He will be profoundly missed by all who knew him, loved him, and read him.

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