PENNRIDGE COMMUNITY DAY SELECTS CRAIG WILHELM CITIZEN OF THE YEAR!
(Perkasie, PA, July 2014) – Pennridge Community Day is very proud to select and name Craig Wilhelm as Citizen of the Year for 2014. Craig will be honored and given the award at the Pennridge community Day opening ceremonies on July 6th, 2014 with a rain date of July 13, 2014 at noon at the Sellersville memorial in the Park.
Tom Skiffington President of Pennridge community Day states” Each year the Pennridge Community Day committee as part of their 40 + year tradition selects an outstanding individual in the Pennridge community that gives back to the community. This individual gives of their time and energy to the community in outstanding service for the love of the community and an effort to make our community a better place to live and call home. This year is no different and we are proud to select Craig Wilhelm. He has given of his time and energy and works very hard to help make our community a better place. It is with great honor that we selected Craig for Citizen of the year for 2014. Everyone who knows Criag or wants to thank him for his service is welcome at our opening ceremonies to honor Craig. He is well deserving of the award!”
Craig was born on June 11, 1943 and has been a lifelong citizen of Sellersville. Having attended Sellersville Elementary School, Pennridge Junior High School and graduated from Pennridge High School in June 1961. He graduated from Lansdale School of Business with an Associates Degree in Business.
After working with his family’s Funeral Home for several years, he was drafted into the Army in November 1964. After completing his basic training in Fort Jackson, SC, he was assigned to Company C, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry of the 25th Infantry division at Schoefield Barracks in Hawaii. In January 1966, his company shipped out for duty in Viet Nam and was the first company of the 25th Infantry Division to see combat in Viet Nam. While in Viet Nam, he received several medals and commendations including the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Army Commendation Medal. He was discharged in November 1966.
In 1967, he joined Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and remained with them for seven years. He then began work for the Borough of Sellersville as the operator of the Borough’s water service and remained there for 37 years retiring from the Borough on October 10, 2010. He is currently serving the Borough of Sellersville as the Emergency Management Coordinator and has held that position for several years.
Criag was a coach for the Pennridge Little League for seven years, was a past member of the Sellersville Fire Department for close to 40 years (Held numerous positions in the fire department including secretary, trustee, Lieutenant, Assistant Chief, Battalion Chief and served as the Department Chief in 1994 and 1995). He was a past member of the training committee for the Bucks County Fire School, was a drill instructor of the Pennridge High School Band for 25 years, retiring in 2005. He also was a past member of the Perkasie Fire Company Ambulance Corp where he served as an EMT for eight years. He has been a member of the Nase-Kraft American Legion Post 255 of Sellersville for 47 years, currently serving as Post Commander (a position that he has held for 16 years). He was awarded the Post Commander of the year in 2011 of the 9th District of the Pennsylvania American Legion.
In addition to the above, he is currently serving as a Deputy Commander of the 9th District of the Pennsylvania American Legion which Includes all of Bucks and Montgomery Counties, He is currently a certified Fire Inspector and currently serving the Borough of Trumbauersville as the Fire Marshal and Code Enforcement Officer and is currently a Deputy Chief of the Delaware Valley Judges Association.
Craig has one son, Douglas Wilhelm who lives in Quakertown as is currently serving as Fire Chief of the Quakertown Fire Department and is the Fire Marshal of Quakertown Borough. Craig also has two Granddaughters, Megan and Tori.
