Joe Wilder Death, Obituary – “Joe” Wilder, who resided in the community of Portage, Michigan, and was 54 years old at the time of his untimely death on November 20, 2022, passed died unexpectedly at his home. Joe Wilder was born to his parents, Bernard Joseph Wilder and Mary Ada (Johnson) Wilder, on August 6, 1968 in the city of Kalamazoo, which is located in the state of Michigan. When Joe was a small child, he and his family uprooted their lives and moved from Parchment to Portage. Joe lived in Portage throughout his infancy and received his high school education at Loy Norrix, from which he graduated in 1987.
Joe recently graduated from Kalamazoo Valley Community College with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement. He is now the proud possessor of this degree. He started his career as a law enforcement officer with the South Haven Police Department, then moved on to the Dowagiac Police Department, and after that, he settled in with the Battle Creek Police Department (BCPD). In October of 2021, he walked away from his career with the British Columbia Police Department after having served there for a total of 25 years. While working for the Vancouver Police Department, Joe was promoted to the rank of corporal after holding the roles of patrol officer and training officer (BCPD).
During his tenure with the BCPD, he oversaw both the Bomb Squad and the Downtown Liaison Officer. During that time, both of these units were under his direction. After Joe retired from the Boston College Police Department, he first worked as a deputy for the Kalamazoo Sheriff Department and then took a position as a public safety officer at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.