Thomas John Wilson, Jr.

Thomas John Wilson, Jr. completed the final leg of his courageous race on June 18th, 2025 with love by his side.

Born February 5th, 1982 in Raleigh, North Carolina, Thomas grew up a tried and true Tar Heel. He developed a love of nature in his early years, foraging for treasure and building forts in his backyard on Thomas Road with his trusty golden, Jeb, by his side. Happiest with family, his fondest childhood memories ranged from weekends on his paternal grandmother’s front porch in Albemarle to summer days with his maternal grandparents on Wrightsville Beach. 

After graduating from Broughton High School, he attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, receiving his Bachelors of Science in Business Administration and Master of Accounting in 2005. During his high school and college years, he earned his Eagle Scout badge, relished his Young Life community, was a member of Beta Theta Pi, and developed a love for boating on the shores of Camp Morehead and Seagull.

Following his graduation from UNC, he launched a 20 year career in finance and accounting with teams at Blackbaud, PPD and Thorne. Most notable were the 10 years spent with Ernst and Young, which he often spoke of as his “career highlight” thanks to the friendships built among colleagues.

At a football game tailgate in the Fall of 2006, Thomas’ first true love, the Tar Heels, led him to his second, Parker. Their relationship flourished across North Carolina highways, dividing weekends between the Blue Ridge mountains and the Outer Banks with frequent “Piedmont tours” in between to see family. Married on October 10th, 2009, they began their life as newlyweds in the town where they met – Chapel Hill. Committed to adventure, the pair lived in Vancouver, BC and Charleston, SC before ultimately planting roots in Wilmington, NC.

Topping the list of Thomas’ life accomplishments was the title for which he longed most – Daddy. Carrying forward his legacy of spontaneous travel, love of history, flower planting, fresh squeezed OJ, UNC fandom, corny jokes and Christmas tree prowess is his beloved daughter, Hatton Smith, and his fan club leaders, Thomas John, III and Raynor Michael.

Thomas’ innate critical thinking made him uniquely poised to walk through life holding the tension of unfulfilled faith and hope for the truth while staring down the hard stuff. Face to face with suffering at various points in his life, he exemplified creating space for joy and grief to coexist in the messy middle. Ever the researcher, he approached life’s hard questions with fervor and depth, living boldly and loving fiercely in the midst of uncertainty. He trusted the Lord’s provision when nothing else made sense, and he showed his family how to do the same by the way he lived and loved them in every season of his life - even the hardest one of all.

Thomas’ legacy is carried by those who walked beside him: his bride, Parker Wilson and their three children; his father Thomas Wilson, Sr. and stepmother Cindy; his mother Janeth Drake and stepfather Thomas; his sister Jenna Wilson; his aunt Elizabeth Wilson; his uncle Gray Marshburn; his in-laws, Michael and Lynda Swann; his brother and sister in law Scott and Lanier Hodgson; his niece Bailey Hodgson and nephew Brooks Hodgson; his far reaching extended family; and his large “chosen family” whom he treasured.

Team Thomas extends their gratitude to his selfless and compassionate community of healthcare providers, most notably Doctors Ryan Goepfert, Pete Anderson and Jacob Stein, who gave him hope and endurance for this journey. 

In lieu of flowers, his family has requested donations be made to Rally Foundation or Elevate Childhood Cancer Research for continued progress in the areas of pediatric and rare cancer treatment. A celebration of Thomas’ full life will be held at 3:00 pm on Sunday, June 29th in Wilmington at Hotel Ballast. It will be in the large ballroom on the bottom floor. 

May we all walk away from sandy shores or snow-capped mountains with a desire to fill up a bird feeder, be the first to the dance floor, admire a fish tank, stop to listen to the hopper kingdom and give a dog a voice so we can enjoy all God created and what Thomas adored most.

Go Heels. Go Thomas.