James L. Wilson

On April 15, 2024, James L. Wilson, beloved husband of the late Catherine "Cass" Kinnear; devoted father of Brigid Wilson; loving brother of Pamela W. Tillman, David A. Wilson and his wife Claudia, and Kim Hershfeld and her husband Jim; dear brother-in-law of Bill Kinnear and his wife Cathleen; also survived by many nieces and nephews and his devoted dog Zipper.
James L. Wilson ("Jim") was raised in Sunnybrook, graduated from Dulaney HS in 1973, attended Oglethorpe University, and earned a B.S. Degree in Marketing from Towson State University. From a young age he liked anything with wheels; the faster, the better. He went from minibikes, tractors, then motorcycles, to his first Corvette. His love of speed led him to purchase muscle cars and speed boats, but he was afraid of flying and snakes. Jim enjoyed taking his car to Cruisin' Ocean City with one of his oldest friends, Sell Howser, and also frequented Maple Grove Drag Strip and Georgetown Speedway. On Saturday mornings, he was a regular at Cars & Coffee in Hunt Valley. He was blessed to have a large group of car enthusiast friends who visited and cared for him during his illness. They truly made his last days with pancreatic cancer more bearable.
Jim was the Owner/President of Wilson Builders, Inc. for more than 40 years, building meticulous custom homes in Baltimore, Harford, and Howard counties. Best known for his honesty, sincerity, and integrity in business, he was chosen as Builder/Architect's "Builder of the Month" in the March 1997 issue.
After retirement, Jim started working for his friend Scott Wegner doing window and door service work. They often found themselves at high-end homes with magnificent views. Jim would post pictures on Facebook implying they were his own. He would get such a kick out of all the comments people would leave, stumping quite a few acquaintances each time.
Many will also remember Jim's love of cooking, grilling, sharing recipes, and socializing at local eateries, including Sammy's, Ryleigh's, McFaul's, and most of all Carrabba's with his daughter, Brigid. Jim could frequently be seen around town getting his hair cut at Frank's or breakfast at Panera, more than most likely (iykyk) holding court.
Jim was the person who would light up a room with his ever-present smile and quick dry wit. He could also make you laugh uncontrollably. He leaves all of us with memories that will surely last a lifetime.
Most notably though, Jim was a doting Dad to his beautiful daughter, Brigid, and relished spoiling his devoted and protective dog, Zipper.
God bless Jim and may he rest in peace.
The family will receive friends at the family owned Ruck-Towson Funeral Home, Inc., 1050 York Road (at beltway exit 26) on Saturday, April 27, 2024, 11 AM to 3 PM. We will have a podium set up for those of you that wish to tell a funny story about Jim or a fond memory you may have. Memorial contributions may be sent in Mr. Wilson's memory to The American Cancer Society, PO Box 6704, Hagerstown, Maryland 21741 or online memorial contributions at: cancer.org