October 21, 2024
REST IN PEACE
Dr. Jerome Rene Wilett, 89, died peacefully in Gainesville, FL on October 21, 2024 at 89 years young, following complications from a fall after an extraordinary life.
Dr. Wilett is survived by his daughter, Nicole Wilett, of Washington, DC; his cherished granddaughters, Tessa and Eliza Wilett-Jensen and their father, Colin Thomas-Jensen; his sisters, Joan Griffin and Theresa Barrand; his brothers, Michael Ouellette and Brad Ward; his many nieces and nephews, his business partner Noelle Markle, and dear friends in Syracuse, NY, at the Village of Gainesville, FL, and all over the world. He is preceded in death by his beloved son, Marc Wilett, of Los Angeles, California; his eldest brother Charles Ouellette; his mother, Anna McKay; his father, Jerome Ouellette; and pets Heidi, Fluffo, Picaboo, Tiger, and Rusty.
Jerome Wilett was born in Jersey City, NJ in 1935, and grew up in Miami, FL. Always a seeker, after graduating from high school he attended St Joseph's Seminary in Callicoon, NY as a Fransiscan monk. He was ordained a Catholic priest at the National Basillica in Washington, DC in 1961 and assigned to St. Anthony's Shrine in Boston, MA. As Father Rene, he served numerous parishes, taught high school math, and coached basketball. He later left the priesthood but remained dedicated to its most humane teachings. He earned his Bachelor's degree in philosophy from St. Bonaventure University in 1957, and a Master's of Science and a PhD in Psychology from St. Louis University, in 1970 and 1973 respectively.
As a psychologist and an educator, he fulfilled his calling to serve those in need and to teach others to do the same. While in graduate school at St. Louis University he worked in residential drug treatment at Archway House and taught at the medical school, From 1971-75, he taught psychology and counseled students at Notre Dame University. In 1972 he founded and directed the Northern Indiana Drug Abuse Services in South Bend, IN, where he counseled people in recovery, mentored other therapists, and fought against the stigma of treatment.
In 1975 he moved to Syracuse, NY where he also taught psychology, counseled students, and supervised the counselor-in-residence program. In 1977 he founded Psychological and Family Services, which he continued to direct until he retired in his 80s. He was deeply devoted to his clients and found great joy in practicing from the historic Victorian property he restored at 500 N. McBride Street in Syracuse. He became a Neuro-Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner in the 1985, and held numerous elected leadership roles in the New York State Psychological Association from 1982-2005.
Dr. Wilett was married twice, first to Felicity Nussbaum and later to Sheila Morrissey, before divorcing. He and Felicity raised their two children and lots of pets in the university area of Syracuse. Dr. Wilett was an avid runner, often pushing his son Marc in weekly races at Onondaga Lake Park, and an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities and their families. He was a world traveler, ferocious and long-suffering fan of Syracuse University Basketball and the Red Sox, dedicated supporter of Syracuse's Jowonio School and the Cerebral Palsy Center, an amateur pilot and poet, an animal rescuer, poker shark, and curious cat. With Sheila, he moved to Fayetteville, NY, where he loved to tend to his garden and spend time with her extended family. Deeply spiritual, he practiced Buddhism for many years at the Zen Center of Syracuse, and was on the board of the Interreligious Council of Central New York. A life-long adventurer and rascal, he always, always took the long way home.
The family would like to thank the staff and community of the Village at Gainesville and the Haven Hospice Center for their care and support these past many months. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Marc-Wilett-Zan Currin Fund for students with physical needs at The Jowonio School via https://jowonio.org/culture-of-giving/. Please visit his memorial page at www.williamsthomasfuneralhome.com. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, WILLIAMS-THOMAS DOWNTOWN 352-376-7556