A veteran television producer and comedy writer who retired to the hills west of Temecula to escape the hectic Hollywood lifestyle has died.

Myles Wilder, who moved with his wife, Bobbe, to the De Luz area in 1994, died April 20 of complications from diverticulitis, family members said.

He was 77.

Wilder wrote for and produced many of television's best-known and loved shows, including "McHale's Navy," "Bachelor Father," "Gomer Pyle," "My Three Sons," The Lucy Show, "The Brady Bunch," "Get Smart" and "The Dukes of Hazzard."

His writing for "McHale's Navy" garnered him two Emmy Award nominations.

The son of film noir producer/director W. Lee Wilder and nephew of legendary writer/produce/director Billy Wilder, Myles Wilder got an early start in Hollywood.

"When he was 17, he started writing for radio shows," his daughter, Kim Wilder-Lee, said. "It was something he always wanted to do."

Born in New York City, Wilder served in the U.S. Army from 1956 to 1958.

During his career, he also worked for Walt Disney, developing stories for movies and was in charge of daytime TV for Hanna-Barbera Studios.

When he retired, Wilder and Bobbe, his wife of 53 years, were looking for a simpler life, their daughter said.

"They lived in Brentwood and were tired of the rat race," Wilder-Lee said. "They were looking for the quiet country life."

They Wilders found that in Temecula, buying a home on 5 acres filled with avocado trees in the rural hills, west of the city.

"They loved it here," Wilder-Lee said. "They fell in love with the whole community."

While Myles Wilder was content to tend to his avocados, his wife has been active with several area environmental groups.

Bobbe Wilder served as president of Save Southwest Riverside County, which in 2002 defeated an effort by San Diego Gas & Electric Co. to string power lines through the Temecula Valley.

She is also a founder of Save Our Southwest Hills, which opposes the effort to build a granite quarry southwest of Temecula.

"Dad always stayed in the background," Wilder-Lee said. "But he always supported her and was very proud of her."

A memorial service for Myles Wilder will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at England Family Mortuary in Temecula. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations be made to the Friends of Pets Foundation in Sun Valley, www.friendsforpets.org.

Call staff writer John Hunneman at 951-676-4315, ext. 2603.