Obituary of Troy F. Wilder

Troy F. Wilder, a former Special Agent of the FBI, died on January 17, 2009. The son of R.P. (Pink) Wilder (from Pontotoc) and Mattie Whiteside Wilder (from Hickory Flat), Troy was born in the Red Hill Community, Union County, Mississippi on February 12, 1920 and served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. Upon his discharge after WWII, he returned to New Albany, and graduated from Mississippi State University in January 1948; he then joined the FBI. At the time of his retirement from the FBI in 1977, Mr. Wilder was the Supervisory Special Agent assigned to the Palo Alto, CA FBI office. After retiring from the FBI, Mr. Wilder was a principal in Risk Technical Services, a forensic engineering service specializing in the investigation of catastrophic incidents. He resided in Los Altos, CA (in the San Francisco Bay Area). Troy was a member and Elder of the Presbyterian Church of San Mateo and Union Presbyterian Church of Los Altos, CA. He was active in the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI, serving as chairman of the San Francisco Peninsula Chapter in 1983. He was also a member of the Palo Alto Elks Lodge. Troy was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 59 years, Mary. He is survived by daughter Sandra Coolidge of Cupertino, CA, daughter Carolyn Purdy and son Russell Wilder both of Sunnyvale CA,, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He is also survived by his brother, Walter, of Jackson, Mississippi. This classic Southern gentleman, always quick with a greeting, handshake, and story, instilled values of faith, family, and friendship to everyone he met and never forgot his beginnings. A fond memory was attending his 65th class reunion of Tippah Union High School in 2003.




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