Robert Charles "Bob" deWilde

Retired Marketing Manager
 

Robert Charles "Bob" deWilde, 76, of Pittsgrove died at home Sunday morning November 8, 2009 following a prolonged illness.

The husband of Judith (nee Cubberley) deWilde, he was born in Bridgeton and was the son of the late Klaas and Margaret "Peg" (nee Chard) deWilde. He was a graduate of Bridgeton High School in 1950 and received his degree in horticulture from Rutgers University and in 1955 graduated from Rutgers with a Masters Degree in Horticulture. He served in the United States Army from 1955 until 1957 and was discharged as a First Lieutenant. Mr. deWilde was associated with his family in the operation of the Perkins - deWilde Nursery in Shiloh which was a division of the Jackson-Perkins Rose Company. His specialty was that of lilac propagation. With his training and expertise the company started a container division at the nursery which was the first of its kind. When the nursery closed in 1966 Mr. deWilde took a position in plant research at the Union-Carbide Company. While living in Doylestown and working in Ambler, PA he did research on plant growth regulators. He later became marketing managers for one of these products, Ethrel. He continued to serve as marketing manager for Union-Carbide and in 1980 relocated to Raleigh, NC. Upon retirement, Mr. deWilde founded the Carolina Commercial Investment and Appraisal Company which he owned for several years. He returned to the area seven years ago.

Mr. deWilde was a member of the Deerfield Presbyterian Church. He was a member of his high school tennis team and had a lifelong interest in tennis. In addition, he enjoyed ballroom dancing and had been an instructor at the former Carnegie Dance Studio in Bridgeton. Mr. deWilde had a passion for gardening and garden design and a love for classical music.

Mr. and Mrs. deWilde celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on October 3rd.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by two daughters, Barbara deWilde and her husband Scott Sheldon and Karen deWilde Morales and he husband Abram all of Montclair, three grandchildren, Macauley O'Connor, Helen O'Connor and Victoria Morales and one sister, Margaret Booth and her husband Dr. Bruce Booth of West Chester, PA.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial service at the Deerfield Presbyterian Church, Old Deerfield Pike in Upper Deerfield Township on Saturday afternoon November 14th at 2 o'clock where friends will be received from 1 until 2..

Rev. Dr. Kenneth Larter, the church's pastor, will officiate.

Cremation took place at the Laurel Lawn Crematory in Upper Deerfield Township.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Mr. deWilde's memory are suggested to the Deerfield Presbyterian Church, Music Programs, PO Box 69, Deerfield Street, NJ 08313 or to the NJ Library for the Blind and Handicap, Talking Back and Braille Center (TBBC), Attention: Development Dept., 2300 Stuyvesant Ave., Trenton, NJ 08618.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Freitag Funeral Home of Bridgeton.

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