Local residents lined First Avenue in Parkesburg on Dec. 30 to pay their final respects to Thaddeus "Bud" Wilde during a funeral procession that included fire trucks and other rescue vehicles from Keystone Valley Fire Department (KVFD). Wilde passed away on Dec. 17 at the age of 89.

The solemn funeral procession began at Wilde Funeral Home, where Wilde was a fourth-generation funeral director; passed KVFD, where Wilde once served as fire chief; and ended at Wilde's final resting place at the Upper Octorara Presbyterian Church cemetery, where the funeral ceremony took place.

Among those who viewed the procession of vehicles were local citizens, members of the Parkesburg Lions Club and borough and fire department officials. KVFD rang its sirens as the procession passed by.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, those who stood along the street wore masks and practiced social distancing, and Wilde's service was open only to immediate family.

Family members, including Wilde's daughter, Cathy Wilde Christ, were moved by the number of people who turned out to say goodbye. "(Family members) send our love out to the community for their overwhelming support and love they showed us during Dad's passing," said Christ, "His funeral procession will forever be etched in our hearts, and I know Dad would be grinning from ear to ear if he would have seen it."

Many residents refer to Wilde as a community icon. In 2020, Parkesburg Mayor John Hagan declared March 2, Wilde's birthday, as Thaddeus "Bud" Wilde Day in the Borough of Parkesburg.

Wilde graduated in 1953 from Eckels College of Mortuary Science in Philadelphia and served two years of apprenticeship at the Wilde Funeral Home before becoming director.

Wilde was a member of Parkesburg Methodist Church and a former member of Parkesburg Presbyterian Church, where he served as deacon, elder and trustee. He was a member of the Brandywine Goddard Masonic Lodge F&AM for 67 years. He served on the board of the Chester County Blind Association and the Parkesburg Centennial Committee in 1972.

Wilde joined the Parkesburg Fire Company at the age of 14 as a junior firefighter. He was fire chief from 1961 to 1963. He also served as the civil service director during those years and was one of the honorary co-chairs for the Capital Campaign Committee in 2019. He was awarded honorary life membership.

Wilde became a member of the Parkesburg Lions Club in 1977 and later served as club president. He also served on numerous committees during his membership. In February 2019, he was awarded the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award, the highest recognition given by the Lions Clubs International Foundation for community service.

To view the procession and Wilde's funeral service at the cemetery, readers may visit http://www.youtube.com and search for "In Memory of Thaddeus 'Bud' Wilde." A video of the funeral procession, posted on Dec. 30, is available at http://www.facebook.com/kvfd8.