Dr. John Lennox Wilson

Dr. John Lennox Wilson passed away on Tuesday at the age of eighty-two. Father, grandfather, professor, mentor, engineer, and thinker, he was beloved by so many.

John was raised in New York CIty by his adoring parents, Robert and Gladys. After receiving his bachelor's degree from Tufts, he moved on to Yale where he completed his Master's and most of his doctoral work. In his heart, he was a Yale man.

Dr. Wilson's career of pushing civil engineering into new directions exemplified his favorite poem. "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."

He joined the Lehigh University faculty in 1982, after time with the University of Pennsylvania and the Sun Corporation. In his first few years at Lehigh, he built the first computational laboratory in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, known as the Computer-Aided Engineering Lab.

Dr. Wilson was part of the leadership group that won a prestigious National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center grant that created the Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems (ATLSS) Engineering Research Center at Lehigh University in 1986. He was Associate Director for Research of the ATLSS Center for 10 years. The ATLSS Center remains an enduring legacy with an international reputation for excellence in structural engineering research.

John's own research at Lehigh in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s focused on software at the interface of structural design and fabrication, a forerunner of today's Building Information Modeling Systems; and on software to support inspection and maintenance of bridges. These software systems were early applications of Artificial Intelligence concepts in structural engineering.

Dr. Wilson also led the Structural Engineering Faculty and was Graduate Program Director in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Lehigh for almost two decades. He imparted a love of learning and critical thinking to all around him. His students have become leading engineers throughout the world.

John was a devoted father and grandfather whose selfless generosity will inspire his family for the rest of their lives. No father loved his children more or was more dedicated. He enjoyed taking his children to ballgames, teaching them math, exposing them to culture and traveling. He adored vacationing with his family in the Poconos and Ocean City, New Jersey. He loved the Lord and regularly attended Faith Church in Allentown. He was also an active member of Lehigh Country Club, where he enjoyed treating family and friends to meals.

John leaves behind his daughter Hillary, his son Robert, his son-in-law Kevin, his daughter-in-law Eelin and his four grandchildren Alexandra, Kalei, Cristina, and Annabelle. He also leaves behind his fiancé Bette and many friends throughout the Lehigh Valley and beyond. John leaves behind a world he helped make better.

In lieu of flowers, we would ask you to please send donations to Samaritan's Purse. The funeral will be held on June 9, 2023 at Faith Church, 6528 Hamilton Blvd., Allentown, PA. The calling will begin at 10:00 AM followed by a service at 11:00 AM. After the funeral, there will also be a luncheon at 12:30 PM at the Lehigh Country Club at 2319 S Cedar Crest Blvd., Allentown, PA. Arrangements by Bachman, Kulik & Reinsmith Funeral Homes, Allentown, www.BKRFH.com

We miss you Dad/Poppy!