Corey Wilcox was the kind of person who found something interesting in almost everything.
He was endlessly curious. He loved learning the history of things, understanding how they worked, discovering something new, and then passing that knowledge on. He was happiest outdoors - hunting, fishing, foraging for mushrooms, managing habitat, tapping maple trees, growing enormous pumpkins, keeping bees, working with wood, or grafting heirloom fruit trees.
Corey’s childhood in Alaska left a permanent imprint. After experiencing that kind of wild landscape, everywhere else felt too crowded, too flat, or too hot. The wild was always calling him back.
Corey met his wife, Rachel, co-race director, while dancing the polka in seventh-grade gym class. Together, they built a life centered around adventure, the outdoors, animals, and an ever-growing collection of projects. A four-line newspaper ad led Corey to their first Vizsla, Wyatt. Grady followed two years later, and eventually Corey and Rachel created Wyldfire Vizslas, bringing the joy of their red dogs to families across the country.
Corey brought that same curiosity and generosity to his work. Over a twenty-year career in environmental consulting, he became a trusted leader and mentor. He was known for his calm in a crisis, his encyclopedic knowledge of obscure plants, his great sense of humor, his unforgettable stories, and above all, for putting his relationships first.
Nearly every hobby Corey had, he taught himself - from sourdough pancakes (Rachel used to say she married him in barter for a lifetime supply) to maple syrup, hunting, fishing, woodworking, and fruit-tree grafting. He mentored coworkers and friends, and eventually, after Rachel’s persistent encouragement, he became the head coach of the Germantown Hornets Youth Wrestling Program. His wrestlers and their families became one of the greatest loves of his life, alongside Rachel and his dogs.
In addition to his time outdoors, Corey was a lifelong athlete. He grew up wrestling, played football, powerlifted throughout his life, and eventually found trail running, completing his first 50K in November 2021.
Corey lived a life full of plans - wild adventures he wanted to take, young wrestlers he hoped to mentor, heirloom trees he intended to plant, and red dogs he dreamed of bringing into the world. But he didn’t get enough time to see that list through.
Corey died in August 2022 at age 45, after a four-month battle with pancreatic cancer.
His life won’t be measured only in the years he had, but in what he planted in others.
He will be remembered through the people he mentored, the kids he coached, the friendships he nurtured, the families who welcomed his dogs, the knowledge he shared, the trees he planted, and most importantly, by the seeds he left behind.
Corey loved life, but he invested in something greater than his own. That is why we run.
On one of the memorial trees planted in his honor are the words:
“Every root an anchor; every seed, a promise.”