Jeremy Allen Wilber, Town Supervisor of Woodstock, NY, passed away on January 1, 2017, after a battle with cancer. He was 66.
Wilber was born on July 8, 1950, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His family set down roots in Woodstock in 1962, and he attended Onteora Central School for 4 years. He then lived in Boulder, CO for several years before returning to Woodstock in 1969. He tended bar at several of the town’s taverns, plied the trade of carpenter and roofer, and married Fran Lori Azouz in 1981. He ran unsuccessfully for Town Supervisor in 1995, 1997, and won that office in 1999; at his passing he was in his 7th term as the longest serving Woodstock Town Supervisor.
He is survived by his wife, Fran Lori Azouz, a daughter Abigail Louise Wilber, and a son Lee Paul Wilber; by two sisters, Alix Wilber of Seattle, WA, and Barbara Wilber of Olive, NY; and by a brother, Chris Paul, of Red Hook. He was predeceased by his father, Carey Raymond Wilber, his mother, Elaine Meuller, and two brothers, Carey Wilber Jr. and Nicholas Frederick Balcomb. A memorial service will be held at the Bearsville Theater in Bearsville on Sunday, January 8 at noon. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Woodstock Rescue Squad, the Northern Dutchess Hospital, or the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
Deputy Supervisor Bill McKenna sent us the following statement:
Our beloved supervisor, Jeremy Wilber, has passed away. Jeremy served our community for 13 years and 1 day, making he Woodstock’s longest serving supervisor. He served with a complete commitment to all its people. His abilities, his knowledge, his love of this community, and most of all his sincere pledge to make sure all voices were heard, will be missed. The employees of the town, the Woodstock Town Board and I would like to express our heartfelt sympathy to Jeremy’s family.
Deputy Supervisor Bill McKenna
The Woodstock Town Board
Town of Woodstock Employees
We’ll have more on Jeremy Wilber’s passing in the next issue of Woodstock Times and here on Hudson Valley One.
A memorial service will be held at the Bearsville Theater in Bearsville on Sunday, January 8, at 12 noon. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Woodstock Rescue Squad, the Northern Dutchess Hospital, or the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.
Very sad news. For all who are struggling with cancer or know someone who is, here is an organization that offers real help: They have been around for many years, but off the radar somewhat : rethinkingcancer.org
I received the news this morning. I have spent the day with my thoughts of Jeremy and those of us who loved him. He touched so many of our lives in his special way. I miss him all the more, knowing that he lives on in every heart that he touched. When I look up into the sky I shall see a star in the heavens. It will be filled with the light that Jeremy shines down to us. Sometimes we will see that crooked grin of his and be comforted.
I had the good fortune to have been elected Town of Marbletown Supervisor in 2004. Before taking office I went to visit Jeremy to gain some insights into my new position and for advice on potential pitfalls. Jeremy was incredibly gracious and helpful. In subsequent years, we communicated with each other often and it was always a pleasure and a great learning experience. Jeremy was a wonderful human being and an exceptional leader. We are all blessed to have known and worked with him – and he will be missed.