William Harrison Wilson

1945 - 2022

William Harrison Wilson, age 77, of Sequim went home to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on November 14, 2022.

He is survived by his loving and faithful wife, Leslie; his three children Heidi Sue Ehnert (Craig) of Puyallup; Benjamin Bill Wilson (Julie)of Wilmington, North Carolina; and Emily Joyce Dirton (Malik) of Tacoma; his two older sisters, Betty Parnell of Tennessee and Sue Wallace (Jim) of Des Moines, his younger sisters Peggy "Snooks" Dire of Port Angeles and Joyce Olesen (Todd) of Gig Harbor; and his grandson Dominick William Dirton of Tacoma.

Bill was born on September 21, 1945, in Port Angeles and grew up in Pysht with his parents and four sisters. His father, Curtis Wilson, was a logger and his mother, Florence Elizabeth "Peggy" Wilson, was a stay-at-home mother.

He first met Leslie in 1951 when they were in the same first grade class in Clallam Bay School, Clallam Bay, WA. As they grew older, they became high school sweethearts and fell in love. Bill and Leslie graduated high school in 1964 and were joined in holy matrimony in Clallam Bay on August 28, 1965. The loving couple enjoyed fifty-seven years of marriage. Bill was a star in basketball, football, baseball and track while in high school and eventually became the first-ever inductee into the CBHS Hall of Fame.

He was drafted into the US Army in October 1965 as America became further involved in the Vietnam Conflict. He attended basic training in Fort Carson, CO, where he earned the distinction as "Outstanding Trainee" for his company. He was then sent to Vietnam, where he was assigned as an infantry squad leader with the legendary 7th Cavalry Regiment. He earned numerous ribbons and medals for his service, including the Combat Infantryman's Badge, Air Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal for Heroism. Bill was a devoted husband and father, as well as a dedicated public servant. Not long after his discharge from the army, he joined the Tacoma Fire Department, where he would spend the next thirty years before his retirement in 2000.

For many years, Bill was an avid bicyclist. He rode between his home in Spanaway and the fire station for many years and participated in the Seattle-to-Portland (STP) event. After retiring from the fire service, he worked for 17 years as a wide-load pilot driver.

Bill was passionate about military history, especially on the topics of the American Civil War and World War II. In his spare time, he read countless books on the subjects and gained a near-encyclopedic knowledge on persons, places and events associated with those periods. He also loved woodworking and being "Pop Pop" to his grandson Dominick Dirton.

Bill was affectionately called "Sonny" by his sisters and parents, and his nephews and nieces always addressed him as "Uncle Bill." His three children always knew he was behind them all the way with guidance, love and support.

Bill was dependable, caring and generous, but he also possessed a razor-sharp wit and a rich sense of humor. He touched countless lives in positive and lasting ways.

Dear Bill. Dear Heart.

What a cavernous hole you've left that cannot be filled by anyone else but you. Our house is so empty and way too quiet. To think all that singing and whistling was just too loud! Now the silence is brutal. All the duties you faithfully did everyday. The dishes. The bird feeders. The mail run. The kitty litter. The trash. Always, always, always. And all done whistling and singing, with gusto, all done with an engine running on fumes. Anyone else could not even be standing and walking around.

No more sharing of the op-ed pages together or of letters to the editor. No more solving crossword puzzles together. No more sharing favorite Golden Oldies. No more loving Elvis together. No more of your delicious coffee and poached eggs for breakfast. No more telling and retelling of forever funny stories with brother, Steve. Over a cuppa coffee, naturally. So many good stories. And your own WGGS (world's greatest grandson) the fastest, smartest and the best worker ever. Right, Grandson?

Yes, Dear sweet, Bill, they were indeed the good 'ol days. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Bill. And not least, all the full tanks of gas in my car, and all those yard messes I made that you came and picked up. And all the miles and miles of mowing. And singing. And mowing.

Your friends loved you because they knew you loved them and you loved the Lord because you knew He loved you. Until we meet again.

Celebration of Life to be held on 1/7/23 at 1:00 p.m. Reception following.
Sequim Community Church
950 N. Fifth Avenue
Sequim WA 98382