John B. Wilson

On January 12th, John B. Wilson peacefully passed away surrounded by dear friends and family. His gusto for life, love of conversation and great sense of humor created an open and welcoming world to everyone he met. He loved opera, travel and languages studying Spanish, Italian and Mandarin. He loved to entertain and became an accomplished cook. He made life a more fascinating place for everyone who came into contact with him. He was a man of strong convictions. His belief in standing up for what he thought was right never left him. He felt so strongly about Pearl Harbor and the turning away of Jewish refugee children that at 17, he lied about his age in order to enlist in the Navy. He believed strongly in the importance and power of education and obtained both under-graduate and graduate degrees from the University of Indiana at Bloomington. As an exceptional student, he was encouraged and mentored by some remarkable professors. As a professor of Sculpture in the Fine Arts Department at the University of Colorado, he was no stranger to fervent and often controversial opinions. Much of his body of work arose from politics and current world events that troubled him. He was a visiting professor at the University of Hawaii on multiple occasions. Additionally, he and several friends opened a gallery in Denver in the early 1980's called the Center for Idea Art for the purpose of displaying conceptual art. During his tenure at the University of Colorado, he formed life-long relationships with many of his students. He never forgot the importance of those who helped him as a young man and did the same for his own students. He married his childhood sweetheart, Pauline Langley in 1947 after returning from the war. He and Pauline first saw Colorado in the early 50's on their way back from a trip to Mexico and became committed to making a life here. His beloved Pauline passed away in 2014. He is survived by daughters Suzanne (husband Paul) and Becky (husband Steve), sons Tony and Jeff, grandchildren Alex, Monica, Nena, Paige and Lexie and great-grandson, Osiris. He loved his family deeply and was a constant source of encouragement and guidance. His family and friends were fortunate to be a part of his life. A memorial will be held in the chapel at Frasier Meadows on Saturday, February 10th at 3:00 p.m. followed by a gathering to celebrate his life.