John Wild

Reverend John H. Wild

Brookfield - The Reverend John Harry Wild gently passed away on Saturday, June 21st, at the Quaboag Rehabilitation and Skilled Care Center in West Brookfield, MA. He was born on October 4, 1927, the beloved only son of Dr. John H. Wild, and Irene (Schmidt) Wild in Buffalo, NY. The family shared their home with his aunt Arvilla 'Billie' Schmidt who showered him with love. John met his half sisters Alma (Wild) Spindler and Ruth Wild later in life and they were welcome additions. As a child, John's family home shared space with his father's medical practice and family life accommodated those office routines. John served in the Army in post WWII occupied Japan where he learned a few phrases in Japanese to facilitate his work as an x-ray technician. Those phrases popped into conversation through-out his life. His memories of the ocean voyage to Japan reinforced that he was happier on terra firma. Following his return home, he continued his studies at the University of NY at Buffalo and in 1953 received a Master's of Divinity at Colgate Rochester Divinity School, Rochester, NY. He began his ministry with his first wife E. Jacqueline Wild serving churches in Utica, NY; Watertown, MA; Brunswick, ME while raising their three children, Becky, Peter, and Mark. Following his marriage to Kathleen in 1984, he served churches in El Paso, TX and then Brookfield, MA. The title Pastor Emeritus of the Brookfield Congregational Church was conferred upon his retirement there at age 79. He will be greatly and lovingly missed by his wife, Kathleen Quinn-Wild, of Brookfield, MA; his children, Rebecca Wild-Wesley and her husband Thomas Wesley of Hopedale, MA; Peter J. Wild; and G. Mark and his wife Susan (Parker) Wild of Brunswick, ME; and Jennifer Weaver of Northampton, MA, and by his grandchildren Hannah, Abigail, and John Wesley; Kylie and Eliza Jane Wild; Caroline and Parker Wild; and Alex and Elijah Howe. John was a gentle man who inspired many by his preaching, and his kind ways. He considered the people in his life as blessings and he loved the simple things of life: his family summer homes in North Boston, NY, and Webster, NH, yard work, washing his cars, refinishing furniture, his dog Tucker, and most of all, chocolate ice cream. He bore these past years of declining health with gentle resignation, always expressing gratitude for his family and caregivers at Quaboag. He never failed to remind us to listen rather than talk, to count blessings rather than misfortune and to be kind to everyone you meet. We would do well to follow his example.

We do not die at the end of life. We die in the midst of life as part of an ongoing process.

"Do not tell them that I died; just say I had business in another world."

Calling hours will be held on Wednesday, June 25th, from 5:00 to 8:00PM at the Varnum Funeral Home, West Brookfield. The Memorial Service for John will be led by his friends/colleagues Revs. Russell and Debra Arnold, and Rev. Richard Jones on Thursday, June 26th, at 11:00AM at the Brookfield Congregational Church, on the Common, Brookfield, MA. Interment will be private at a later time. Memorial donations may be made to the Brookfield Congregational Church's Meditation Garden Fund, P.O. Box 457, Brookfield, MA 01506

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