Willis Walter Wick, D.D.S, F.A.C.D

April 8, 1937 - January 23, 2020

Willis Walter Wick, D.D.S, F.A.C.D, age 82 of Cypress Cove at HealthPark, Fort Myers, Florida, died peacefully and surrounded by family on January 23, 2020.

Woody was born at Sheboygan Memorial Medical Center on April 8, 1937, the son of the late Dr. Ashton E. Wick and the late Dorothy Elaine (Mueller) Wick.

He married Marian Foster Wild on December 20, 1959, at Howes Memorial Chapel at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

As an 8th grade student at U.S. Grant School in Sheboygan, WI, Woody served as Captain of the Safety Patrol. He attended North High School in Sheboygan for two years before his family moved to Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. He graduated in the top ten of his senior class from Austin High School (AHS) in 1955. A leader in ROTC, Woody was recognized as the 1954 Outstanding Cadet, commander of the best platoon in the battalion and commander of the battalion drill team. He received the Bausch & Lomb Science Award, was a member of the National Honor Society, participated on the AHS yearbook and newspaper staffs and served as president of the Quill and Scroll Society and secretary of the Panther Association.

Woody attended Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania for two years of predental study and then transferred to Northwestern University Dental School in Chicago, Illinois. In 1961, he received his D.D.S. dental degree, the Odontographic Society Award, the Xi Psi Phi Friendship Award, and was inducted into the Omicron Kappa Upsilon honorary dental fraternity and into the U.S. Navy as a 1st Lieutenant, Sr. Grade. After six months of naval service at Great Lakes Naval Station, he was transferred to serve with the Fleet Marines at Camp Pendleton, California, in December 1961.

In 1963, Woody returned to join his father in dental practice in Sheboygan, WI, and continued in solo practice following his father’s retirement in 1983. His interest in his family, home, personal exercise, and continuing education filled his free time. He took greatest joy in following the careers of his wife and children

Woody was a member of the First Congregational Church – United Church of Christ and the Church at the Cove.  He retired from membership in the Sheboygan Downtown Rotary Club and the Sheboygan Economics Club. He was a life member of the American Dental Association, the Wisconsin Dental Association, the Sheboygan County Dental Society, and the American College of Dentists.

In the past, he had been a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity, the Xi Psi Phi Fraternity, Omicron Kappa Upsilon Fraternity, the Northwestern University Dental Study Club of Wisconsin, the Sheboygan United Fund, and the Boy Scout District Committee.  

As a student, a volunteer, and as a professional, Woody was a leader and often ascended to top positions within the organizations he served.

Woody is survived by a daughter, Julia (Peter) Sonneborn of Glenview, IL; two sons, David (Mieka) Wick of Washington, D.C. and Tom (Susan) Wick of Flossmoor, IL; and his brother, Thomas A. Wick of Northfield, IL. “Buppa” is further survived by six grandchildren, Allison and Emily Sonneborn, Annabelle and Sam Wick, and Payson and Ted Wick.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Marian Wild Wick; his mother, Dorothy E. (Mueller) Wick; stepmother, Helen H. (Christiansen) Wick; his father, Dr. Ashton E. Wick; his aunts, Betty Louise (Wick) Widder and Mary Grace (Wick) Steinmann; and Barbara Diebold (Thomas A.) Wick, his sister-in-law; and maternal and paternal grandparents.

Memorial services will be held at Cypress Cove in Fort Myers, Florida on Saturday, February 15, 2020.

Memorial gifts, in lieu of flowers, may be made to The Barbara’s Friends Outpatient Center, C/O Lee Health Foundation, 16451 Health Park, Fort Myers FL  33908 to one of the Cypress Cove Charitable Funds, 10200 Cypress Cove Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33908, Attn: Office of Philanthrophy (Community Enhancement Fund, the Cottage Memory Care Residence Fund, or the Staff Scholarship Program) or the First Congregational Church Memorial Fund, 310 Bluff Avenue, Sheboygan WI  53081.

Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Fort Myers, is entrusted with final care.

Guestbook

  1. Peggy White Jan 27, 2020 at 10:39 am

    Woody was loved by all who did Pilates with him at Love Your Core. It was well known how proud he was and how much he loved his family. God wrap His arms around each of you!🙏🏻

  2. Barb Kleine Jan 28, 2020 at 8:42 am

    Dr Wick was more than our family dentist, he was a family friend. That contagious smile and laugh will always be in my mind….his amazing spirit will carry on in his children and grandchildren for years to come! He was an amazing person! My sympathy and Gods peace to you al❤️❤️❤️ Fondly, Barb Van Veghel Kleine

  3. Colleen Carney Jan 29, 2020 at 10:27 am

    I will miss you, Woody! You were a neighbor, friend, fitness client and an inspiration. Your smile, wit and presence have been missed ever since your departure for Florida. I will remember you forever with a smile and gratitude for knowing you.
    Colleen Carney
    Kohler, Wi.

  4. Jim & Julia Hollister Apr 29, 2020 at 11:54 am

    Woody, you will be missed (along with Marian). We recorded a YouTube video of a memorial service and had a few of our musicians share their gifts as well. We trust it will help us keep you in our hearts and soften our grief.
    Here is the link https://youtu.be/WlVRm2R9URA
    In Christ,
    Pastors Jim & Julia Hollister
    First Congregational Church, UCC, Sheboygan, WI

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