Wilma Veldman, who co-founded Tire Rack with her late husband Peter “Pete” Veldman, died on Dec. 12, 2016. She was 89.
Wilma Veldman was born in Vorden, Netherlands, and emigrated to the U.S. in 1952 with her husband.
The couple settled in the South Bend, Ind., where they started a variety of auto repair and parts businesses. Pete and Wilma started Tire Rack in 1979 as a retail tire store with son-in-law Mike Joines.
In 1982, Tire Rack became a mail-order/wholesale tire business, which evolved into the e-commerce tire business of today.
The Veldmans sold their minority share in the company in 2005 to focus on charitable interests. Both Wilma and Pete were involved in extensive philanthropic work and received local awards for their contributions to the community. The Veldman’s won the Scott Miller Distinguished Business Award in 2014, and the entire Veldman family was inducted into the South Bend Community Hall of Fame in 2015.
Wilma and her husband were also lifelong active members of Holy Family Catholic Church and later, Christ the King Catholic Church.
Wilma is remembered for her sense of humor and generosity, and raised seven children while also welcoming extended family members. She was also a lifelong Notre Dame fan.
Wilma was preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, who died in 2014, and daughter Audrey. She is survived by six of her seven children: Thomas (Anita) Veldman; David (Linda) Veldman; Connie (Michael) Joines; Sharon (Matthew) Edmonds; Marcia Veldman; and Mark (Nicole Schonemann) Veldman; 20 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
