Welcome to the memorial page for
Donald James Wilson
January 1, 1931 ~ August 15, 2017 (age 86) 86 Years OldShare Tribute:
Donald James “Shorty” Wilson, 86, of Salem, passed away August 15, 2017 at The Veterans Medical Center after a short battle with cancer. He is preceded in death by his wife, Jacqueline Jacquemard Wilson who passed 14 years ago of a broken heart due to the death of their beloved grandson, Jimmy.
He was born January 1, 1931 and was the first baby of the year in Bluefield, West Virginia. He was raised in Hollins, VA., by his parents, Jesse and Teresa who owned a General Store and Antique Shop. He loved building and flying model airplanes and won many ribbons. Later he enjoyed building and rebuilding motorcycles and cars and made sure his sons and grandchildren learned these skills. At one time he was keeping five race cars in the family going, his wife ask if she needed to put a number on her car to even get an oil change. As a master mechanic and machinist he could build or make any part that you could ever dream up.
He retired from General Electric after 30 years. He said he loved every day of work always joking and cutting up so much that people say you couldn’t every believe anything he said even if he was telling the truth.
He joined the Air Force his senior year of high school during The Korean War and was a mechanic in the motor pool. He served in France where he meet the love of his life, and said she was the only woman he could find that was shorter than him. They married in 1954 in Troyes, France and had their first son David (Jessi) of Shawsville. They returned to America in 1955 by ship from Germany where the wife and baby became sea sick, said he was the only man to ever walk across the Atlantic Ocean holding his child he even slept while walking a few years later they had two more sons, Dicky (Donna) and Daniel (Connie) all of Salem. The family continued to grow with 8 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
In his last days he said he had a good life and he was ready for St. Peter to take him on home. Our memories of him will always be cherished.
A Graveside service will be held in Sherwood Memorial Park on Saturday, August 19, 2017 at 11 a.m. with Reverend Roy Rogers officiating.
The family will receive friends at 3792 Old Town Road, Shawsville, Virginia from 1 to 3 p.m. following the service.
He was born January 1, 1931 and was the first baby of the year in Bluefield, West Virginia. He was raised in Hollins, VA., by his parents, Jesse and Teresa who owned a General Store and Antique Shop. He loved building and flying model airplanes and won many ribbons. Later he enjoyed building and rebuilding motorcycles and cars and made sure his sons and grandchildren learned these skills. At one time he was keeping five race cars in the family going, his wife ask if she needed to put a number on her car to even get an oil change. As a master mechanic and machinist he could build or make any part that you could ever dream up.
He retired from General Electric after 30 years. He said he loved every day of work always joking and cutting up so much that people say you couldn’t every believe anything he said even if he was telling the truth.
He joined the Air Force his senior year of high school during The Korean War and was a mechanic in the motor pool. He served in France where he meet the love of his life, and said she was the only woman he could find that was shorter than him. They married in 1954 in Troyes, France and had their first son David (Jessi) of Shawsville. They returned to America in 1955 by ship from Germany where the wife and baby became sea sick, said he was the only man to ever walk across the Atlantic Ocean holding his child he even slept while walking a few years later they had two more sons, Dicky (Donna) and Daniel (Connie) all of Salem. The family continued to grow with 8 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
In his last days he said he had a good life and he was ready for St. Peter to take him on home. Our memories of him will always be cherished.
A Graveside service will be held in Sherwood Memorial Park on Saturday, August 19, 2017 at 11 a.m. with Reverend Roy Rogers officiating.
The family will receive friends at 3792 Old Town Road, Shawsville, Virginia from 1 to 3 p.m. following the service.
© 2024 Lotz Funeral Home. All Rights Reserved. Funeral Home website by CFS & TA | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | CFS Privacy Policy