Rodney Wicklund

Rod was born March 21, 1926, in Duluth, Minnesota, to Ivar and Edith Wicklund, the youngest of four boys.  The day after he graduated from Denfeld high school he  entered the Navy to serve during WWII.  After being honorably discharged he attended the University of Minnesota graduating with a degree in economics.

He was hired by Swift and Company and moved to Minot, North Dakota, selling meat in his territory.  Swift transferred him to the advertising department located in Chicago where he began his career in advertising.  It was in Chicago where he met his wife, Phyllis Austin Wicklund.  Rod worked for BBDO in Minneapolis and Jacksonville, Florida, N.W. Ayer out of Princeton, N.J., and Fairmont Foods in Omaha.

Rod and Phyllis loved the Rocky Mountains and when a business opportunity came up where they could move to Denver they took it.  Rod became president of Packaging Research Corporation which he finally sold in 1987.

Rod was a member of the Lions Club, Denver Den, and was part of the group of Lions that worked with the University of Colorado to build the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute that has resulted in Anschutz Medical Center.  He served on the boards of Mile High Montessori, the Kauvar Foundation, and Capitol Hill Community Services.

The whole Wicklund family loved to hike in the mountains and Rod and Phyllis reached the top of 20 of Colorado’s fourteeners.  Rod also loved to travel and visited almost 100 countries in his lifetime.

He is survived by his wife of 67+ years, Phyllis, his sons Thomas and Matthew (Beth) and his daughter Sharon Awald (Paul), six grandchildren and great grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held Wednesday, February 8, 2023, 11:00 at Hope United Methodist Church, 5101 S. Dayton St., Greenwood Village, followed by burial at Fort Logan Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Denver Lions Early Learning Center, P. O. Box 150079, Lakewood, CO 80215; Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute, 1675 Ursula St., Aurora, CO 80045; Capitol Hill Community Services, 3615 S. Huron St., Suite 206, Englewood, CO 80110