Roll Call Tribute

Eugene Joseph "Gene" Wilhelm, Jr. 

July 25, 1933 - January 18, 2026 

Eugene "Gene" Joseph Wilhelm, Jr., of Slippery Rock, PA passed away Sunday, January 18, 2026. Gene Wilhelm was born in St. Louis, Mo., on July 25, 1933, to Veronica and Eugene Wilhelm, deceased. His brother, Bob Wilhelm, of El Centro, Calif., is also deceased.

He is survived by his wife, Joanne; son, Kevin and his wife, Amanda; and his dearly beloved granddaughter Keira, all in Slippery Rock. Gene is also survived by his nephew, David, and his wife, Lori, of Escondido, Calif.; a niece, Lori Wilhelm, and nephew, Bob Wilhelm Jr., of Phoenix, Ariz.

Gene received his bachelor's degree from St. Louis University, his master's degree from Louisiana State University and his Doctor of Philosophy from Texas A&M University. Gene served as a professor at DePaul University, Chicago; St. Louis University, McGill University in Montreal, Canada; the University of Virginia; St. John's University, Minnesota; and Slippery Rock University, where he retired. Gene taught geography, anthropology, geology and environmental sciences. He was a Fulbright-Hays professor and scholar in Sierra Leone, Africa, in the late 1970s. Upon retiring from SRU, he was granted professor emeritus status. Gene made many contributions to SRU environmental science programs and defense funds, as well as SRU athletics.

Gene had a passion for birds that bloomed after meeting Roger Tory Peterson when he was 8 years old. He continued birding all of his life and traveled to all 50 states and all seven continents doing so. He was instrumental in starting the Bartramian Audubon Chapter for Butler, Lawrence, Mercer and Venango counties. He served as the vice president of education for the National Audubon Society in New York City in the mid-1980s. He worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, near Alamo, Texas, to monitor the migration count of raptors from Latin America into the USA.
Gene was published many times and authored the following books: "The Blue Ridge," "Through The Seasons," "A Celebration of Creation," "Appalachian Highlands," "A Field Guide to Ecology" and "Bartramian Audubon Sanctuaries." He remained active writing articles for the Princeton University Press for Pennsylvania Birds Journal. He also taught courses for SRU's Institute for Learning in Retirement.

For all of his work, educational outreach and philanthropy, Gene was awarded the National Audubon Society Great Egret Award, which recognizes exceptional long-term service to the Audubon mission and bird conservation.

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026 at St. Peter Roman Catholic Church, 670 S. Main St., Slippery Rock.