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Our cherished father and husband, Henry"Hank" Wider, 82, a resident of Albuquerque since 1956, passed away on January 15, 2003 after a brief but vigorous struggle with cancer. He is survived by his wife, Mary Cunningham, whom he married on December 24, 1950; daughter, Susan and partner, Bill Junor of Santa Fe; and daughter, Sarah Ann and husband, Bruce Ward; and granddaughter, Faith of Hamilton, New York; and his nieces and nephews. Hank was preceded in death by three brothers; and three sisters. Born in Columbus, OH, Hank graduated from East High School and toured with the Ethel Barrymore show. Because of the horse unit, he joined the Ohio National Guard upon his return to Ohio in the late 1930's, and when called into active duty, became a member of the 16th Cavalry, advancing rapidly and becoming the youngest first sergeant of that time. He attended Officers Training School at Fort Riley, Kansas and saw active duty in France and Germany. After World War II, Hank attended Ohio State University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1951. While completing his degree, he was called back into active duty and taught for their ROTC program. Before moving to New Mexico, he worked for Patterson Kelly and with his sister, Ann, for Avlon Inc. in Stroudsburg, PA. In 1956, he joined Bell Trading Post in Albuquerque guiding the company through many developments in the next 25 years. A lifelong supporter and lover of the arts, he enjoyed both drawing and writing. Music filled his head, and he gave the precious gift of music to his two daughters. As he recently remarked, the house didn't seem like home without their music in it. He enjoyed attending concerts with his family and served on the boards of several arts organizations. One of his proudest accomplishments as President of the June Music Festival Board was making tickets available to members of the Albuquerque Youth Symphony. He also headed the vigorous fund-raising efforts of the Sandia High School Orchestra in 1976; the success of that effort took 30 young people to Europe for three weeks of travel and music making. In recent years, he enjoyed telling a few tall tales with friends at Bear Canyon Senior Center. Undaunted by the frustrations of the computer age, he took computer classes and kept his daughters' e-mail full of messages. An enthusiastic golfer, he also welcomed the friendship of the links. And his best success of any day was making his beloved wife laugh. A man with a gift for making people feel good, he was always ready with the witty remark, a love of word play he passed on to his daughters and granddaughter. Some of his happiest hours were spent with his granddaughter. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to the U.S. Cavalry Association P.O. Box 2325 Fort Riley, Kansas 66442-0325 (913-784-5797). Private Graveside Services will take place at the Surry Cemetery in Maine at a later date. Arrangements by Aspen Funeral Alternatives. 323-9000.
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