Amelia H. Wilhelm, age 97 years and the last of nine siblings, died peacefully on Sunday, June 13, 2021, in West Bloomfield, MI. Her life course spanned three continents and almost one century, and the relationships she forged with so many loving friends and family members were a constant source of love and strength for her.
She was born in November 1923, in Baghdad, Iraq, to Farida and Dawood Hakim. She departed for the New World on a ship leaving Alexandria, Egypt, in April 1946. She initially lived with her brother Shaw’s family, and soon completed a training program in Occupational Therapy at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. She married Dr. Rudolf Wilhelm, an immigrant from war-torn Germany, in 1952. After a half-year long honeymoon journey in a two-toned Volkswagen from Germany to Baghdad, they settled in the Detroit area. They raised three children—Chris, Mark, and Cynthia—and subsequently lived in Dearborn, MI; New Orleans, LA; Fort Knox, KY; and Dornach, Switzerland. Having been introduced to the teachings of the Austrian philosopher/clairvoyant Rudolf Steiner, she joined her husband in work that eventually led to the founding of the Detroit Waldorf School and the Waldorf Teacher Training Institute. In 1972, the family purchased a farm near Stockbridge, MI. Her ensuing combined urban and rural lifestyle, replete with guests visiting from near and far, provided her with a deeply satisfying connection with her loved ones in a setting rife with new experiences. Her life was further enhanced with extensive travel far and wide. In 1994, she moved into a renovated home on Wing Lake in Bloomfield Hills, where she enjoyed gardening and visiting with friends and family. She maintained active community involvement as President of the Friends of Wayne State University Medical School, and as a long-standing and guiding member of the Board of the Detroit Waldorf School. She was particularly proud of her four grandchildren. Her life was a powerful example of love in action—an oracle of compassionate wisdom and a generous spirit for all those whose lives she enriched.
She is survived by her sons, Chris (Susan) and Mark (Romi); daughter Cynthia; and grandchildren Anna, Kurt, Elle, and Mark. A private funeral will take place at the Christian Community Church in Ferndale, MI on June 17, 2021. A Memorial Celebration is being planned for this fall. Memorial donations may be directed to the Detroit Waldorf School or the Christian Community in North America - Detroit, 1320 E. Camden Ave., Ferndale, MI 48220. Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.
