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William Wilson Obituary
Bill was born June 14, 1944, in Chico, Calif. to Frances and Bernard Wilson. Raised on a ranch in Durham, Bill enjoyed horsepower much more than actual horses, developing a passion for automobiles that only grew over the course of his life. He graduated from Durham High School in 1962 and decided to pursue car racing, rather than higher education, but then took the plunge and started school at Chico State. Unfortunately, the United States government had other plans, and Bill was enlisted to the U.S. Army during the Vietnam draft. He was sent to Ft. Hood, Texas and was lucky to only fight the "armadillo war," never shipping out. Bill was honorably discharged in 1972 and attended Yuba College and then Chico State, courtesy of the VA Bill, all while working at King Dollar gas station. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Industrial Arts and a minor in English in the mid-1970s, and then taught industrial arts, auto shop, and architectural design at Yuba City High School until his retirement in 2006.
Bill married Sue (Prall) Maxwell June 27, 1995, in the presence of her four children, Mark, Allen, Madeline and Matthew, after a long courtship. Bill's great loves were cars and engines, IPAs (with a rating of 8.0 or more on beeradvocate.com), baseball and Sue. He thrived in the details of everyday living, relishing in organization and simple pleasures. Bill loved to tinker in the garage, play New York Times word games and research almost any subject. He will be remembered for his good nature, his generosity and his love for his family.
Bill is survived by his wife Sue and his stepchildren, Mark Maxwell, Allen Maxwell and Katy Campi, Madeline Sabatoni and Chris Sabatoni and Matthew Maxwell, and his grandchildren, Ramona Sabatoni, George Campwell and Maxwell Sabatoni, as well as his former wife Merlene Judd. He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother Ben Wilson.
Services will be held at Sutter Cemetery 10:30 a.m. Monday, Dec. 15, with a reception to follow.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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