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Thomas James Wilson left this earth, transitioning to his heavenly home on February 26, 2025 at his home in Pinehurst, just outside of Marietta, Ohio. Born September 12, 1935, in Tunnel to George James Wilson and Myrtle Lucille Johnson, he was as unique as the many names he answered to.
A lifelong tinkerer, T.J. (or Jimmie or Jim depending on when you met him) had a knack for cars, computers and electronics--always chasing the latest gadgets before they were cool. He also had a way with words, often rhyming his thoughts into poetry. An excerpt from his 2016 poem, Red Rocker on the Porch, brings solace to us all:
You will find by sitting with me for a while Rocking to and fro, pondering and reflecting Will quiet your heart with peace and make you smile. Once you leave and go for the rest of the day, I will wait for you to return to be there for your concerns to rock away.
Jimmie spent his childhood in Warren Township and crisscrossing the country with his parents while his father worked in oil fields and mining claims. For a time, while living in Huntington Beach, California, he proudly went by Tom, but by his teenage years, he had returned to the Mid-Ohio Valley, where Jimmie graduated from Marietta High School and attended Marietta College.
In 1952, during a play rehearsal at Vincent High School, mutual friends Gary Purdue and Connie Anderson Spino introduced him to the love of his life, Shirley Ann Gaughan. They married on April 20, 1954, in Boomer, West Virginia.
Jim dabbled in many jobs--construction, retail, finance, and paint--Porter's Construction, Bonham's Department Store and Marietta Savings and Loan, before settling into a 33-year career as an instrument technician at Union Carbide Plastics, which morphed into Amoco Performances (now Solvay), retiring in 1995. A proud United Steelworkers Union member and past president, he led on and off the clock.
For 65+ years, he stood loyal to Marietta's Masonic Lodge #1 and Knights of Columbus #418. Passionate about education, he served on the Warren Local Schools Board and Warren Elementary PTA. Born into the Protestant faith, he later embraced Catholicism, taking catechism and classes joining his wife in attending Mass.
He was preceded in death by his wife; parents; his stepfather, Verl C. "Mac" McIntire; his grandparents George Wesley Wilson and Ora Kinnear Crawford; Thomas Bloomfield Johnson and Ida Mae Flannery and his best pal, his dalmatian, Cricket.
Surviving--known as Dad/Pop to his children--Cheyenne Duncan (Greg) of Elizabeth City, North Carolina; Patrick J. Wilson and Pamela J. Bowes, both of Marietta. PaPa to his grandchildren--Jennifer Meek Toelle (David) of Salina, Kansas; Derek M. Burton of St. Augustine, Florida; Stephanie Bowes Flanagan and Zachary Bowes, both of Marietta. A step-grandson, Josh Duncan (Jennifer) of Glenshaw, Pennsylvania. And Great PaPa to several great-grandchildren. His beloved dog, Gracie May, will be keeping his seat warm.
T.J., as he preferred in his later years, had a way of making people smile--whether through a well-timed joke, an act of kindness, or simply standing up for what was right. You could often find him cruising in The Shadow, his restored '50 Mercury. Now, we know he is gamin' around heaven, grinning down on us all with a large smiley-face.
Graveside services, officiated by Father David L. Huffman, of St. Ambrose Catholic Church will be held on St. Patrick's Day, Monday, March 17, at 2 pm at St. Mary's Cemetery on Orchard Drive in Little Hocking, Ohio. Family and friends are warmly invited to attend.