William Allen Wilson

William Allen Wilson 4/24/1929 12/3/2017 "Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eye turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return". That quote sums up our father, but he was more than a pilot. He was a loving husband, a father, a technician, a business owner and self made man. He was born in 1929 in North Dakota and came from very modest means, only rich in love. He had an adventurous side. In 1945 he took his first flight lessons and continued until he became a private pilot. In 1946 it was off to the Navy. With his G.I. bill, he learned the HVAC trade. In 1949 he married his childhood sweetheart Ruby. Together they started a family and spent 20 years together. It was during these early years he joined the Civil Air Patrol, achieving the rank of Lt. Col. He was flying as often as he could. In 1969 he married Bertha, spending 43 years together. During these years he and Bertha were flying a lot and spent many hours flying in support of the Civil Air Patrol Search missions. In 1979 he and Bertha owned and operated Wilson Refrigeration Service and shared many successful years together until he retired in 1994. The closing chapters of this story brought Bette Hill into his life and their 4 1/2 years together seemed like an everlasting honeymoon. He liked her and loved her very much. And you guessed it, up until 6 weeks ago he was still flying. Bill passed away peacefully on 12/3/2017 from Leukemia with family at his side. He is survived by his wife Bette, his sister Delores, his children Sheri, Karen, Doug (Kathy), Bob (Cindy), 9 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren, 1 great great grandson, and many nieces and nephews. And don't forget his mistress, his airplane.

Published in News Tribune (Tacoma) on Dec. 10, 2017



-Submitted by David Fritzsche