Obituary
John Junior Wilder, known to just about everyone as “Big John,” passed away on September 10, 2026, at his home in Portland, Oregon. He was 74 years old.
Born on October 25, 1951, in Roswell, New Mexico, John eventually made his way to Oregon, where he graduated from North Salem High School in Salem in 1972.
If you knew John, you knew his sense of humor. The man never met a joke he wouldn’t share, and he collected them like treasures. “What did the dirt say to the rain? If you keep this up, my name will be mud!” Or his favorite about the lunch box telling the refrigerator, “Don’t hate me because I’m a little cooler.” He kept them coming, from the broom that was late for work because it over-swept, to the hat that said, “You wait here, I’ll go on a head.” Pickles, he liked to remind folks, never get mad, because they’re cool as a cucumber.
When he wasn’t making people laugh, John loved his music and never missed a chance to watch the Dallas Cowboys take the field each football season.
John is survived by his mother, Geneva Wilder; his father, William C. Wilder; his sister, Margie A. Wilder; and his brothers, Johnny Wilder, William C. Wilder, and Roger B. Wilder.
Services will be held on September 28, 2026, at 12:00 noon at Omega Funeral & Cremation Service, 223 SE 122nd Ave, Portland, OR 97233, (503) 231-6030. Pallbearers will be William Wilder, Roger Wilder, Travis Wilder, and Allah Everett.
As we say goodbye today, may we remember the life lived, the love shared, and the memories that remain. May those memories bring comfort in the days ahead. Rest in peace.
Tributes