Jon Wilska

3/10/1945 - 3/13/2025

Gainesville, Va. - Jon Wilska, 80, of Gainesville, Va., died March 13, 2025. Though dementia impacted his life fairly significantly over the past several years, he never lost his kindness or his good-naturedness. Born March 10, 1945, to Miriam and John Wilska of West Springfield, Mass., Jon lived a rich, full life, and was many things: a son, a brother, a husband of nearly 55 years to Mary, an incredible father to his son Greg and daughter Emily, the most loving Poppa to his two cherished granddaughters, Kate and Avery, and an endlessly kind and fun-loving family member and friend to so many.

Jon strongly believed in and valued both learning and teaching. He got his B.A. from Bates College in 1967, his master's from Boston University in 1972, and his 6th-year from Central Connecticut State University in 1983. He was a proud public school teacher for nearly 40 years, mostly in the Old Saybrook school system, where he began teaching health in 1971, and then, from 1991 until his retirement in 2005, served as a seventh grade life science teacher. Jon was a proud member of the Connecticut Education Association and the Old Saybrook Education Association, where he also served as president for several years. In 1999, Jon and Mary moved from their longtime home in Niantic, to North Stonington, where they transformed a 1760 colonial farmhouse into a successful bed and breakfast, the Inn at Lower Farm. While he was still teaching, Jon pitched in on evenings and weekends and during the summer; after his retirement, he shifted his focus to the inn full time, and together he and Mary welcomed hundreds of guests from around the world for 15 years. Jon lived a life of service, volunteering for many years with the Interfaith Refugee Resettlement Committee in southeastern Connecticut, helping people who had relocated to the U.S. from southeast Asia and Africa build the better lives for themselves and their families they had come here to seek. He also volunteered several times with Habitat for Humanity throughout New England and, when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, immediately signed up with the Red Cross and traveled down to the Gulf Coast to pitch in on recovery efforts. In 2019, Jon and Mary moved to Gainesville, Va., to be closer to their son Greg and his family. In his new community, Jon enjoyed golfing, playing bocce, puttering in his workshop, and, of course, spending as much time as possible with his family.

Jon leaves behind his wife Mary; son Greg and his wife Sara and daughters Kate and Avery; daughter Emily and her partner Vaughn; sister Charlene; brother Eric and his wife Evelyn; dozens of other beloved family members; and an incredible community of friends and former classmates, colleagues and students.

Jon's family is planning a Celebration of Life to be held in southeastern Connecticut this summer. In lieu of flowers, they welcome donations in Jon's memory to the Connecticut Education Foundation (https://cea.org/cef/) or the Alzheimer's Association (https://www.alz.org/).