Paul Michael Wiltberger

Paul Wiltberger was everybody’s friend. Warm, funny, smart, loyal, eager to help and deeply caring of others, Paul was the man you wanted on your side in good times and bad. He was hopeless in a knife fight, though. His unexpected death leaves a gaping hole in countless hearts.

Paul was born on September 19, 1962, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Paul and Mary Jane (Verlengia) Wiltberger. The family lived in several cities before finally settling in Hammond, Indiana. He was proud to be a Northwest Indiana (NWI) “region rat.”

Paul was a Boy Scout and an altar boy at Our Lady Of Perpetual Help, no doubt inspiring some of his best traits, loyalty, honesty, dependability and hard work. He also grew taller than anyone else in his family, but didn’t want to brag about it, so he always joked, “I’m bigger than life. I’m five-foot twelve!”

A graduate of Hammond’s Morton High School, Class of 1980, Paul went on to earn degrees in Electrical Engineering and Electrical Engineering Technology from Purdue University Northwest, graduating in 1984.

Paul worked for 33 years as computer engineering specialist for Johnson Controls, a world leader in smart building technologies. He wrote complex computer programs to control HVAC, security and other essential digital systems for large-scale building projects throughout Chicagoland. Paul was instrumental in the successful completion or renovation of many important building complexes including: Argon National Laboratory in Arlington Heights, John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, The University of Chicago Medical Center, Wintrust Arena and Willis (Sears) Tower.

As dedicated as he was to his work, Paul decided to retire at 57 “because my real job was getting in the way of traveling with my favorite musicians!” Music was the true love of Paul’s life, with the possible exception Idina Menzel. He may have loved her more.

From Broadway musicals to up-and-coming singer-songwriters, Paul was an irrepressible music fan. He loved all music, except the Beatles. No one knows why. He took that secret to his grave.

Paul’s passion for music began when he picked up a side job working at MusicLab, producers of August Fest, a long-running NWI music festival. There, he began learning the craft of creating quality audio for musicians. Through MusicLab he also connected with the Northwest Indiana band, PAWNZ. For more than 40 years, he worked with PAWNZ on nights and weekends as a sound man, lighting guy, website manager, stage manager, roadie, photographer, jokester and friend. It was PAWNZ that dubbed him with the nickname “Bruizer” after he forcefully escorted an unruly patron out of a club where the band was playing.

Throughout his life, many bands and musicians became family for Paul. Lowen & Navarro, Ellis Paul and Eddie from Ohio all considered Paul more friend than fan. He supported dozens of artists by traveling to shows, helping with sound and buying merch. Ari Hest, Barefoot Movement and Edie Carey were among his favorites. When Covid shut down venues, Paul helped make it possible for many singers to connect with their fans through on-line streams. He worked on 250 streams supporting Dan Navarro and later, helped Emily McVicker manage her site on Twitch.

For ten years he attended the annual Folk Alliance International music conference. There, he designed and ran a spectacular sound system for “Cantina Navarro,” a space where nearly 400 professional musicians depended on Paul to make them sound their best in front of industry professionals.

Paul was an especially beloved member of the Lowen & Navarro (LowNav) fan-family. After Eric Lowen’s death from ALS, Paul became Dan Navarro’s main road warrior and closest ally on dozens of tours across the country and around the world. Most of Dan’s fans are big Paul fans too.

Through Lowen & Navarro, Paul was introduced to Fan Club Cruises, a company that organizes ocean cruises for musicians and their fans. He sailed at least 40 times as a fan and eventually as a group coordinator for the company. He went on music-focused trips all over the world, making new friends and having memorable adventures along the way. 3:00 ice cream and 4:00 french fries were favorite cruise rituals.

While visiting Monaco, Paul arranged to take a group of close friends on a private tour following the route of the famous Formula One road race, the Grand Prix of Monte Carlo. It was a dream tour for a man who loved car races. He never missed opportunities to attend the Indianapolis 500 in person or watch the Daytona 500 from home.

Paul was the manager of his high school football team, but his true sports passion was NHL hockey. He was a Chicago Blackhawks season ticket holder for 30 years, rarely missing a home game. He and his hockey buddies, Stu, Glenn and Mike, were fixtures at the United Center. With seats directly in front of the press box, he enjoyed bantering with the reporters. Even the parking attendants knew him by name and saved him special spots in the lot. He asked about their families. He cared about everyone.

The Blackhawks had not won a Stanley Cup since the year before Paul was born, but they won three while he was in the stands. He grabbed every opportunity to have his picture taken with Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Paul loved his family, his friends, ice cream, Amish pretzels and America’s Cup sailboats. He hated vegetables, except french fries. He will be missed deeply by everyone who knew and loved him.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Paul Leo and Mary Jane (Verlengia) Wiltberger and step-father, Dwayne Thomas.

He is survived by his sister, Kathleen McKamey; sister-from-another-mother, Terri Leonard; many beloved aunts, uncles and cousins, and hundreds of heartbroken friends.

Paul asked for a musical celebration instead of a funeral. A concert in his honor will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Paul’s name to support research into a cure for two diseases: The ALS Association and the Dystonia Foundation

Paul’s sister, Kathleen, is certain Paul’s trip to heaven was a smooth one. She says, “We are convinced that Paul got his angel wings while he was here, and he was on the guest list when he arrived at heaven’s gate.”

Fare thee well, friend. We are so blessed to have known you.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Paul Michael Wiltberger, please visit our Tree Store.