John William Wilt

John William Wilt, 78, of Sidney, passed away at Wilson Health in Sidney. He was born on September 23, 1947, to the late Harley Wilt and Dorothy Mitchell. In 1988, while in Misawa, Japan, John married Reiko Hirata, who survives.

John is lovingly remembered by his wife, Reiko; his children, Gwendolynne (Chris) Bowers, Jeffrey (Lalyn) Wilt, Heidi (Dan) Friedman, Sean Wilt, and Bun (Olyvia) Hirata; and his 12 grandchildren, who were a great source of pride and joy in his life.

A 1965 graduate of Sidney High School, John went on to proudly serve his country in the United States Air Force for 26 years, from 1966 until his retirement in 1992. He remained active in his community as a member of the Air Force Association and the American Legion at-large.

John dedicated much of his life to education and helping others succeed. He taught conversational English in Japan from 1986 to 1992 and later served as an ESL instructor at Edison Community College. He also worked as an Adult Education Instructor at the MonDay Community Correctional Institution in Dayton, where he retired in November 2014. Additionally, he taught GED classes at Upper Valley Career Center in Piqua, impacting many lives through his patience and commitment to learning.

John will be remembered for his service, his dedication to teaching, and his devotion to his family. He was laid to rest at Glen Cemetery in Shelby County, Ohio. Services were entrusted to Salm-McGill & Tangeman Funeral Home in Sidney.