On December 7, 2008 my Grandpa William Kendal Wilson passed away after a long and full life! He was a man who could tell a good story, make jokes, talk to any stranger and he loved to sing and dance. He worked as a painting contractor and one of his cards read: "Rembrandt could paint but not hang wallpaper. I can do both!" He was a very entertaining man and will be greatly missed. I got to go out to the funeral this past week in Reno and spent a very short but good time with my family.
On my way home I had a very Grandpaesque experience. He was always making friends wherever he went. When I was in the airport waiting to board the plane we learned that the flight had been cancelled due to a mechanical error so we would all be getting on the 10:15 flight. I knew we would be there for awhile and had ended up talking to the lady next to me. She was very nice, offered me the use of her cell phone (I had forgotten mine) and in the end of it all gave me a ride home! I felt in some small way that Grandpa would have been smiling at me.
To give you a better idea of the kind of man he was here is his obituary that he wrote before he passed away.
Why? Well just to let you know I finally at age 88 passed away and hopefully went into Eternity with His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I had a long and wonderful life. It was said from the beginning that I was different, an oddball and that has proven correct at times though disappointing on other occasions.
However, there has been no dissatisfaction with the greatest decision I ever made and that was to move my family from England to America in 1953. My family and I came here and made it our home and became naturalized citizens. It has been 55 years of absolute joy. Thank you America! The William Wilson's have now grown to 37 wonderful children, grands, and great with more on the way.
I was educated at Kind Edwards School in Whitley, England and married my surviving, beautiful and beloved Olga on July 20, 1940. For 68 years I have treasured the plaque she gave me on that day:
We'll build our love of beautiful things Tender and golden remembering's. We'll build it with simple joys that last, Pleasures and sorrows, present and past. We'll make it a cloak when cold winds blow, Lighting the dark like a lanterns glow. And we will hold it as sacred, true and fine, This beautiful gift that is yours and mine.
We've made so many friends through the years and have spend the last 38 years in Reno busy (besides working as painting and decorating contractor) with Good Sam Club and the Senior Dance Club. I had the distinct honor to be one of the voices of Washoe Medical Center for many years on local TV. Writing my life story was one of the highlights of my recent years.
On my last visit to England, I was visiting a loved one in a nursing home and was followed out by a gentleman who had heard me speaking and said "On behalf of the English, I would like to thank you and all the Americans who came here to help us win WWII." I replied, "Well thank you and when I get back home I will try and tell as many Americans as I can what you have just said BUT I want you to know that I served in the British Army!" I served with the Highland Light Infantry from The Battle of the Bulge until the end of the war. I was sent to serve in Japan but when the Japanese forces heard I was coming they surrendered! Instead I was sent to Palestine for two years where I was blessed to walk where Jesus Christ had walked and memorably spend December 25, 1945 in Bethlehem. I am so grateful for the opportunity to come to my eternal rest close to all I hold dean in this great land of America.
1 comment:
It was fun to read a little about your Grandfather's life. I'm not kidding-my Grandpa wrote his own obituary right before he passed away. He and my Grandma also came to the U.S. in 1950. It sounds like he was a wonderful man. I'm glad you were able to be there for his funeral and spend time with your family.
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