Howard A. Wilcop, 73, of Rockford, died Thursday, at home. He was born August 20, 1928 in Chicago, IL, to Paul and Minnie Wilhelmenia Wilcopolski. He is survived by his wife, Sherry Wilcop, of Rockford; dear father of Mark (Candice) Wilcop, of Denver, CO and Michael Howard (Judith) Wilcop, of Rockford; cherished grandfather of Thomas James, MacKenzie Elizabeth, Adam Howard and Melinda Marie Wilcop; dear brother of Delores (Ray) Gorecki of Elk Grove Village, IL, Edward (Maria) Wilcopolski and Alex Wilcopolski, both of Chicago, and Raymond (Jenny) Wilcopolski of Hialeah Lakes, FL; fond uncle of numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by his first wife, Betty Wilcop; daughter, Nina Lu Wilcop; sister, Emma Holke and two brothers, William and Andrew Wilcop. Mr. Wilcop served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. During the Korean War, he taught aviation electronics and instrumentation. He and Armer Ahlstrand founded Midwest Associated Industrial Electronics in 1967. They worked together for 27 years until Armer’s death in 1996 and was still President of the company. Member of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. Also belonged to the Tebala Shrine Temple and was a founding member of the Air Squadron Unit, Member of E.F.W., Ellis Lodge and the Freeport Consistory. Funeral service at 10 a.m., Wednesday, June 12, 2002, at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church with Reverend Janet Wold of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church and Father William Wentink of OSF St. Anthony Medical Center officiating. Burial in Scandinavian Cemetery. Visitation from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, June 11, 2002, at Fred C. Olson Funeral Chapels, Ltd., East Chapel, 1001 Second Ave., and 9 to 9:45 a.m., Wednesday at the church. Memorials may be made to the family for a memorial to be established at Northern Illinois Hospice and the Love Fund in care of Father Wentink.
