Robert Wilfred Tremblay

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Robert Wilfred Tremblay passed away at his home in New Orleans, La., surrounded by his family, Jan. 24, 2018.

Wilfred was born in Fall River, Mass., on June 10, 1951, the son of Daniel Robert Tremblay and Cicile Dorothy Saucier.

He was predeceased by his father.

Wilfred leaves behind his mother, Dorothy; his wife, Sheryl Yant Tremblay; his son, Marc A. Tremblay and wife Cheria Scaffidi Tremblay; and grandchildren Symi Vita Tremblay and Indiana Armstrong Beauregard Tremblay.

Wilfred attended the Berklee School of Music. In his 20s, he worked as a drummer in jazz bands in Boston and Memphis and attended Arkansas State University. As he approached his 30s, he took a job driving cab while working on his master's at Boston University.

He taught media law and started a radio station at Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa, and finished his Ed.D. at the University of Pittsburgh while creating another student-run radio station and running the Writer's Conference.

Wilfred enjoyed his work as a professor, radio station general manager and department chairman at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. His career in education culminated as the founding dean of the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication at High Point University, N.C. The university recently recognized him with the now annual Wilfred Tremblay Leadership Award and also gave him the first emeritus status awarded at High Point University.

Wilfred had many passions, including films, Boy Scouts (Eagle Scout), music, CNBC, his own special brand of humor, travel across the world with his wife and son, the New England Patriots, his family, but most especially, his grandchildren.

As has been apparent during the last months of his life as he heard from so many former friends, colleagues and students, he has impacted a wide variety of people and left indelible memories.

His family requests that if you wish to honor him contribute to tipitinasfoundation.org and/or raise a toast to Wilfred and listen to some Miles Davis. (His preferred toasting beverage was 20-year-old scotch.)