Obituary of Penelope E. Wilder

Penelope E. Wilder went to the Lord on February 21, 2017 at the Danbury, Connecticut home of her partner, Arthur J. Mannion, Jr. Penelope was born in Hartford, CT to Floyd and Helen (Plucienski) Wilder, and spent her formative years with her parents, in Wethersfield, CT. She lived the greater part of her adult life in New York City, much to her delight. After Wethersfield High School, Penelope graduated from Lasell College, Bedford, MA. At Lasell, she was introduced to the Boston Garden and turned into a lifelong, rabid hockey fan. She prized her Hartford Whalers memorabilia. Penelope worked for advertising and publishing companies in the heyday of Madison Avenue. Not finding these to her liking, she found her niche as the “Gal Friday” and Office Manager at a private, mid-town Manhattan investment firm. She worked there until its closing in the early 2000’s. She took care of her loving parents until their deaths in 2003. Her friends remember Penelope for her high spirits, ability to act out hilarious comedy skits and one-liners on the spur of the moment, and her love for animals. With two girlfriends, she spent a week helping at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah in the mid-1990s. With no husband or children, Penelope gave her love and treasure to her friends and certain charities that care for animals. She loved life, New York City, the Metropolitan Museum, hockey, ballet, Republicans, movies, Secretariat, and her friends. She looked forward to her annual summer vacations at Saratoga Springs where she could watch the young horses run, visit the retired thoroughbreds at Old Friends at Cabin Creek, eat great food and drive leisurely through the Adirondacks. She will be missed and remembered by many in this country and abroad for her humor, intellect, generosity and loving spirit. Funeral service will be held Saturday Feb. 25. at 11am in the First Church of Christ, Congregational, 250 Main St., Wethersfield. Friends may call at the Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Ave., Glastonbury on Friday Feb. 24 from 6-8pm. Any who want to honor Penelope, are encouraged to make a donation in her name to: Old Friends at Cabin Creek, 483 Sand Hill Rd, Greenfield, NY 12833, 518-698-2377, www.oldfriendsatcabincreek.com; or to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, 5001 Angel Canyon Road, Kanab, UT 84741, bestfriends.org/sanctuary/explore-sanctuary, 435-644-200. For online condolences please visit www.mulryanfh.com.