Growing up, Wilder was a legend in my household, but not for the obvious reasons one might think.

Sure, just like most children of that era, I grew up on Young Frankenstein (one of my dad's favorites), Blazing Saddles (one of my Uncle Kevin's favorites) and Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (one of my favorites... though apparently not loved much by author Roald Dahl). But the reason Wilder was placed on a pedestal in the Shady household was because he was a hometown hero.

Gene Wilder was born Jerome Silberman in Milwaukee, WI on June 11, 1933 (I would be born in Milwaukee some 43 years later), and attended Peckham Junior High School in the mid-1940s. Decades later, Peckham Junior High School changed its name to Jackie Robinson Middle School, which I attended for three years starting in 1987.

In an ironic twist of fate, that school is now an old folks home.

The transition from Peckham to Robinson wasn't 100% thorough, as there was still a giant "P" in the middle of the gymnasium floor. And while the school had changed its name to adapt with the times, to me, it was still known as "the school that Gene Wilder went to."

When I was a kid, the idea that Willy Wonka attended my school was about the coolest thing you could imagine. Partly because of my love for that movie, but also because of what Wilder represented. He was a funny kid who used his talents to do something big with his life, and that appealed to me in many different ways. That isn't to say I needed to escape from anything in Milwaukee, but I did gravitate toward the idea that one could use their skills to benefit and entertain an audience.

As a child, Gene Wilder was an example of who I could be when I grew up. Of course, I am not Gene Wilder. Not even close. But I like to think that my idea of him, the thought of him running through Peckham's halls and making his friends laugh, contributed to the person I am today. To me, that's way cooler than playing Willy Wonka.

Gene Wilder passed away late Sunday night (August 28) at his home in Stamford, CT at the age of 83. Of course, it goes without saying that he will be remembered, first and foremost, for the characters he portrayed. Rightly so. Still, there was more to the man than just the characters he played onscreen. Here are five things Gene Wilder left us.

His Roles... And The Roles He Didn't Take

Leo Bloom.

Willy Wonka.

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein.

And the recovering alcoholic gunslinger Jim, the Waco Kid.

While these four roles will be the bulk of Wilder's film canon, he should also be remembered for the roles he didn't take.

Wilder's first film role came in 1967 when he portrayed Eugene Grizzard in Bonnie & Clyde. With an acting career that spanned more than five decades — he first appeared in television in 1961 — Wilder would go on to make less than two dozen films. That's almost the same number of movies that Nicolas Cage starred in last year.

Sure, not all of Wilder's movies were top notch (I'm looking at you, The Woman In Red), but he had more hits than misses. He worked when an interesting project came along, not just to keep the lights on. His last theatrical performance was in 1991's Another You, and his last credit was in 2015 when he did a voice for The Yo Gabba Gabba! Movie 2.

You have to respect an actor who has the willpower to not just take whatever comes his way. And by "whatever comes his way" I mean "The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle."

His Refusal To Play The Hollywood Game

Wilder rarely gave interviews (I should know, because I tried interviewing him many times over the past 15 years), and he kept his private life exactly that: private.

Here's a rare interview Wilder did with Merv Griffin in 1979, where they talk about how he rarely gives interviews. Seriously.

As a moviegoer, we knew very little about the man who brought life to some of cinema's most beloved characters, and that was just fine. We didn't need to know what Wilder was like behind closed doors because the characters he played on the silver screen were more than enough for us. A celebrity having that level of restraint is something that seems to be lost today.

Gene Wilder got away with not showing us who he was as a private person because he was Gene Wilder, and we respected him for that.
 

His Yin to Richard Pryor's Yang

Over a span of 15 years, Wilder co-starred opposite Richard Pryor in four films: Silver Streak, Stir Crazy, See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Another You, which would be both Wilder's last film and Pryor's last leading role.

In real life, Wilder and Pryor were good friends who looked out for the other person (Wilder was responsible for getting Pryor his role in Silver Streak), but more importantly, they collectively became cinema's first successful interracial comedy duo.

Before Wilder and Pryor, interracial co-stars in comedy films were a rarity. So, you know, Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart have them to thank for it.

His Love For Gilda

Wilder married twice before he married comedienne Gilda Radner in 1984, and once more after she passed away, but it will forever be this relationship that Wilder will be remembered for.

After her death from ovarian cancer in 1989, Wilder penned this goodbye to her for PEOPLE magazine.

Have some tissues handy.

His Compassion

After Gilda's death, Wilder founded the Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Center in LA to help raise cancer awareness and treatment. Soon after, he also co-founded Gilda's Club with Joanna Bull, Radner's cancer psychotherapist.

Wilder was also a staunch opponent of the Vietnam and Iraq wars and contributed to numerous charitable organizations throughout his career including one that delivered aid to families affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

He donated materials to the library of his alma mater, the University of Iowa, and, though raised Jewish, was once quoted as saying that he practiced only the Golden Rule: "Treat others as you would wish to be treated."

I think we could learn a lot from Gene Wilder. Though, to be honest, I'm pretty sure we did.

Thanks for the Wondrous Boat Ride, Gene. See you at the end of the tunnel.