Glenn K. Wildes passed away peacefully on March 25, 2026, age 93, in Falmouth, Maine. He is remembered for his love of family, many friends, cows, thriftiness, gardening, and ice cream.

Glenn was born on May 25, 1932, in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. He was raised on his family’s dairy farm in Little Compton, Rhode Island, alongside six siblings. He is survived by his sister, Frances Wilber of Little Compton, who celebrated her 100th birthday this January and visited Glenn shortly before his passing.

Glenn met his wife, Elizabeth “Betty” Sherman of Middletown, Rhode Island, at a 4-H event while in high school. While at the University of Rhode Island, he frequently hitchhiked to visit her at Bates College in Maine. They were married on April 9, 1955. Glenn and Betty raised their three sons in Sanford, Maine, where they were all very involved in 4-H, the Congregational Church, gardening, and frequent visits to family in Rhode Island.

Glenn dedicated his entire career to the dairy industry. He managed the URI farm immediately after graduation, then moved to Maine in 1959 for a career as a Dairy Specialist with UMaine Cooperative Extension. In retirement, he remained actively involved in Maine agriculture through pasture management consulting and by mentoring future generations of farming families. Throughout the New England dairy community, Glenn was known as a passionate advocate for family farms and agricultural education. Glenn also worked as a Soil Conservation Service Supervisor, organized the Acton Fair parade and dairy show, and volunteered with and supported numerous land trust organizations.

In 2014, Glenn and Betty moved to the OceanView retirement community in Falmouth, where Glenn used his master gardener skills to create perennial gardens and assist fellow residents with their gardens. He cared for Betty for five years; she predeceased him on November 1, 2018. He is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law: Douglas and Julia of Ballston Lake, New York; Bruce and Nancy of Topsham, Maine; and David and Sandra of Verona, Wisconsin. Glenn took great joy in his eight grandchildren and was grateful to know his five great-grandchildren. His family thanks the many people who helped and cared for him over the years at OceanView and Legacy Memory Care. He was clearly very special to them, and they to him.

There will be a memorial service for Glenn at the Congregational Church in Cumberland, Maine at 11:00 am on Saturday, June 13. A celebration of his life will be held at the Little Compton Community Center in Rhode Island on Saturday, September 19. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Glenn’s memory to the Maine Farmland Trust or the Maine 4-H Foundation.