William Boyd "Bill" Wilson

William Boyd Wilson passed away at the VA Hospital in Biloxi on Monday, April 18, 2011. Bill was 82 years old.
Bill was born in Fairfield, Illinois on May 17, 1928 to Edith and Lawrence Wilson. He graduated from Fairfield Community High School in 1946, and attended Southern Illinois University one year before accepting a congressional appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. He graduated from the Academy in 1951, having lettered for three years in football (as an end) and basketball (as a center). During this time, Bill set the season and career scoring records in basketball.
After graduation, Bill took his commission in the Air Force. His first station was Keesler Air Force Base where he attended Electronics School and played football for the Base team. It was here that he met and married Marilyn Towell of Gulfport. This began a busy, full life transferring from base to base and having three sons along the way.
Bill spent seven years of his career teaching. At Ellington AFB, TX he taught electrical engineering and several years later at the Air Force Academy he was on the faculty as an instructor/assistant in the Dept. of Electrical Engineering.
He spent a tour in Security Service in Texas before reporting to the Air Force Academy in 1958. It was during this assignment that he installed overseas a highly successful telemetry system he had conceived and designed and developed. He spent a tour at the Pentagon where he was Development Planning Officer, Directorate of Development Plans, EDCS/Research and Development. He was later assigned to the Office of Aerospace Research, Patrick AFB, FL where he was Commander of the Space Programs Branch. He then received orders to Thailand. These orders were cancelled and he spent another year at Patrick AFB. He received orders to North American Air Defense Command in Colorado Springs as Staff Operations/Plans Officer. In 1973 he retired from the Air Force as a Lt. Colonel.
During his Air Force Career, Bill earned his Masters in Electrical Engineering Degree at The Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. He also completed all Air Force Professional Military Schools; Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College (a distinguished graduate) and Air War College by seminar.
In 1973, he joined TCOM Corp. a subsidiary of Westinghouse. He was Project Manager of a program providing two television/FM Broadcasting Systems to the National Iranian Radio and Television of the Empire of Iran.
He returned to Patrick AFB and eventually retired a second time in 1991 from The Aerospace Corporation where he was Spacecraft Prelaunch Integration Manager for numerous Space Shuttle and Titan payloads. Bill and Marilyn retired to Biloxi in 1991.
Bill was usually active in his church wherever he was. He had been the Superintendent of the Air Force Academy Protestant Sunday School for four years. He had been a Lay Reader at Patrick AFB Chapel, at the Methodist Church in Gulfport he taught a group of ""Young Ladies of advanced age,"" and he also taught at Westminster Presbyterian Church. He had been a Ruling Elder of the Presbyterian Church since 1965. He volunteered for Feed My Sheep, Harrison County Literacy Program and the Port Chapel in Gulfport. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club, the Naval Academy Alumni Association, a Charter member of WWII Memorial in Washington D.C., and a Life Member of the USAF Academy Athletic Association.
In 2001 his life began to take another journey. He had suffered nerve damage to his legs and feet from surgery. By 2005 he could not drive. And at the last he could not walk. He also had congestive heart failure and alzheimers, but he was content, and at times, he had a great sense of humor. The Biloxi VA CLC took very good care of him. For this his family will always be grateful.
He was preceded in death by a son, Brandon Towell Wilson, his parents, Lawrence and Edith Wilson, and a sister, June Wilson.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Marilyn, who will miss her best friend, her love and her hero, with wonderful memories. Also, his sons, Brett Wilson (Linda) of Spring, TX and Blair Wilson (Tricia) of Seabrook, TX; and five wonderful grandchildren; Brandon Wilson (Kayla) of Portland, OR; Evan Wilson of Austin, TX; Grant, Geordie and Gracie Wilson all of Seabrook, TX; his brother, Gene Wilson and wife Glenda of Wilson, NC; his sister, Margie Poole and husband, Fred of Mt. Vernon, IL; two nieces and their families; and many other great relatives.
A Celebration of Bill's life will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Gulfport on Saturday, April 23, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. Visitation will begin one hour before service. Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church or to one's favorite charity.
Arrangements by RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, Beauvior Road in Biloxi.