Page 21 - NJC Newsletter Spring 2016

the Montreal Gazette. While both gave slightly incorrect information, they each confirmed we had a proper date of birth and death.
Our last attempt at searching for Mr. Wilde’s burial site was again in Switzerland, where we contacted the cemetery in Interlaken where David Darling was buried for he had also perished in the car accident with Mr. Wilde. After reading a reflection from an
NJC alumnus from the year Mr. Wilde and Mr. Darling passed, we knew that there had been a funeral service held for David Darling there. In speaking with the cemetery, we again turned up no results for Mr. Wilde; however, we confirmed that David Darling had been buried there.
As an alumna of the school, it didn’t seem as strange as I had imagined it would be to search for a man I knew practically nothing
about. Instead, I felt a special connection with him because he passed on a legacy
that I was able to enjoy and include as a milestone in my life. I take comfort that I am not the first, and not the last, to enjoy the lifelong gift he gave to so many students, as there are generations of NJC alumni who make up our community. Mr. Wilde had
a vision of a community, and I am very thankful to the members of the community I worked with to find extra pieces of the puzzle surrounding his final resting place. While we may have failed to find Mr. Wilde for now, it is consoling to think that he could be anywhere in Europe where he loved to travel, or even at home in his beloved Neuchâtel.
We would like to give a sincere thank you
to all those who contributed to the ongoing search for Mr. Wilde. Many alumni have helped us along the way, including Mrs. Suzanne Eakin ‘61, Mr. Alan Goldbloom ‘66,
Mr. Kim Graybiel ‘66, and Mr. Robin Smith ‘78. A special thank you to Mr. James Carr ‘62, who is credited for having initiated the search for Mr. Wilde two years ago. When Mr. Carr stopped by the Canadian Office that day, he shared how much his Head of School meant to him and what a positive impact Mr. Wilde had on his life. He wanted to know where he could visit Mr. Wilde and pay his respects. There is no doubt that wherever he rests, Mr. Wilde would surely be pleased to know how much his student of 1962 cares about him to this day. Personally, it has been a special honour to have been a part of this important search. Once again, thank you, Mr. Wilde, for Neuchâtel Junior College.
We will never give up our search, so if anyone ever has new information to share about Mr. Wilde’s final resting place, we would appreciate hearing from you at alumni@neuchatel.org.
James Carr ‘62
Sarah MacKay Marton ‘14
In the cemetery record book entry, Leonard Wilde’s address is identified as Crêt Taconnet 4, Neuchâtel.
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“I take comfort that I am not the first, and not the last, to enjoy the lifelong gift he gave to so many
students, as there are generations of NJC alumni who make up our community. “
Sarah MacKay Marton ‘14