Wilt, Longtime 'E&P' Employee, Dies

By: Shawn Moynihan George Wilt, Editor & Publisher's assistant to the publisher for nearly three decades through 1981, died Aug. 3 at age 85 at Georgetown Memorial Hospital in South Carolina, after an illness.

Wilt had been residing in the Belle Isle community of Georgetown.

Born in Springfield, Pa., he graduated first in his class at Springfield High School. Honored as a distinguished alumnus of the Charles Morris Price School of Advertising and Journalism in Philadelphia, Wilt started his newspaper career delivering copies of the Philadelphia Public Ledger, where went on to become a copy boy.

He moved on to The Washington Post in 1941 when the Ledger folded, and came to E&P in New York City in 1955, working in advertising promotion. Wilt retired in 1981 as assistant to the publisher. His career in the newspaper industry spanned more than 60 years.

Following his retirement, George and Zella Wilt moved to South Carolina. Seven years ago he came out of retirement to cover the Georgetown County golf scene for The Georgetown Times, which he continued until his death. In that time he never missed a deadline, even when he was most ill with cancer, according to the paper. His first column appeared July 6, 1996, and was titled "Tee to Green." He was 78 years old.

Times Editor Jesse Tulos described Wilt in an Aug. 6 article in the newspaper as "a newspaper man to the end, a throwback to the old days when deadlines meant something, and crusty old editors ate young reporters like handfuls of peanuts between shots of hard liquor."

Wilt was a member of the Golf Writers Association of America, the Sea Gull Golf Club, the Barbershop Quartet Society and Prince George, Winyah, Episcopal Church, where he was a member of the adult choir. He was a World War II Air Force veteran.

Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Zella Wilt; two daughters, Carol Wilt of Biloxi, Miss., and Barbara Wilt, of Lincoln Park, N.J.; a son, Bill, of Barstow, Calif.; two grandsons; a great-grandson; two sisters; a brother; and several cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Memorials may be made to the Georgetown Memorial Hospital Cancer Treatment Center, Georgetown Memorial Hospital Foundation, P.O. Box 1718, Georgetown, SC 29442; or the Music Fund at Prince George, Winyah, Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 674, Georgetown, SC 29442.