John Wild Sr. Obituary

John Wild, 86, died Thursday, October 12, 2023 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. The family will receive friends 5-7 pm Wednesday, October 18th at Iles Dunn’s Chapel where a vigil service will begin at 7pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 am Thursday, October 19th at Christ the King Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Avon Cemetery.

John was born April 17, 1937 in New Jersey to Joseph and Marie (Cerf) Wild. He was a graduate of Bergen Tech High School, and soon after married the love of his life, Gertrude Ann Mathe. The couple made their home in northern New Jersey where they raised their three children. They were happily married for over 60 years until Gert’s passing in 2022. John worked in the grocery store business for a number of years with A&P and Shop Rite. He followed that with a career as a truck driver, joining the Teamsters Union, making deliveries in New York and Long Island and developing his colorful vocabulary. Following retirement John and Gert moved to Iowa to be closer to their grandchildren and their dogs. John worked as a courier for Iles Funeral Homes for over 20 years “in his retirement”. Most recently he was the fruitless talent agent for pianist Neil Johnson. He loved meeting people, and never had any trouble striking up a conversation. He enjoyed coffee, Julia Roberts, Jack Daniels, country music (the old kind, none of that new crap), dining out anywhere that served whole fish and spending time with family and friends. While he was a Jets and Devils fan, the Red Sox were his passion. As a die-hard member of Red Sox Nation his whole life, he happily expanded his circle of friends to include other fans attending Spring Training games in Ft. Myers, FL. Once he moved into Shelly Rose Estates, he quickly developed yet another caring family.

Survivors include his children: John (Peggy) Wild of Des Moines, Jo Anne (Al Reed) Wild of Jersey City, NJ; daughter in law, Natalie Anders of Phoenixville, PA; grandchildren: Meghann (Chad Peters) Sweeney, Trevor (Allison) Wild of Des Moines, Ian (Natalie) Wild of Des Moines, Shea (Michael Tabor) Wild, Aidan Wild, Gabriel Wild Anders; great grandchildren: Lilia and William Wild. John was preceded in death by his wife, Gertrude; son, Jeffrey Wild and infant son, Paul.

Memorial contributions may be made to Christ the King Catholic Church or The Jimmy Fund (A pediatric cancer fund sponsored by the Boston Red Sox).
Online condolences are welcome at www.IlesCares.com.

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