Obituary of Hugo J. Wilms

Caribou— Hugo J. Wilms died at a health care facility in Caribou, Maine on May 2, 2017, at the age of 94. Born in Gunskirchen, Austria on June 23, 1922, he was the son of Hugo J. Wilms and Elisabeth Hofer Wilms. Mr. Wilms immigrated to this country with his parents when he was a young child. He grew up in Milwaukee, WI, and attended Milwaukee Public schools and Marquette High School. Mr. Wilms served in the U. S. Army during World War II as a communications specialist in India. Accepted into an accelerated academic program while in the Army, Mr. Wilms attended Louisiana State University, Baylor University and later earned his Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Marquette University. He then went on to the University of Missouri where he earned two Master's degrees in engineering. Mr. Wilms served as a civilian in naval research, developing sonar at the Sound Lab in New London, CT from 1952 to 1979. In the mid-1970s, he served in Italy as science adviser to the 6th Fleet. Upon his retirement, Mr. Wilms moved to Fort Kent, ME and later to Libby, MT where he stayed until 2011 when he returned to Maine to live with his son, Carl. In December 2014, he moved to the Maine Veterans' Home in Caribou. He is survived by three sons, Paul of Hope Valley, RI; Carl and his significant other Dorothy Hopkins of Waldoboro, ME; Daniel and his wife Cheryl of Payson, AZ; a brother, Roman and his wife Helga of Tutzing, Germany and a sister, Betty Bookman, and her husband Kenneth of LaRue, OH. He was predeceased by one brother, Peter, and his wife, Miriam (Johnson) Wilms. According to his wishes, there will be no ceremony.