She was a native of Tulsa, OK, the 3rd of 7 children born to Marie Colbert O’Connor and Francis Patrick O’Connor of Tulsa. She was pre-deceased by her parents and her two husbands, Claude S. Wilson, owner of Wilson Steel Products Co., and Svend B. Nielsen, owner of South Front Antiques, and one son, Daniel James Wilson, all of Memphis. She was also pre-deceased by four sisters, Mary Marinoni (Paul) of Fayetteville, AR, Frances Cebuhar (Stanley) of Tulsa, OK, Eleanor J. Gibbons (Patrick) of Seattle, WA, Betty Jo Hoff (Albert) of Overland Park, KS, and one brother, William J. O’Connor (Jane) of Oklahoma City, OK.
She is survived by one sister, Sr. Virginia Marie, OCD of Carmel of Port Tobacco, La Plata, MD, and four children, Anne Marie Wilson of Moreno Valley, CA, Robert E. Wilson of Memphis, Patrick J. Wilson (Christine) of Baton Rouge, LA, and Sally E. Wilson (John Kelsey) of Northborough, MA, four grandchildren, Stephanie W. Davis (Peter) of Kernersville, NC, Derek Wilson (Jennifer) of East Orange, NJ, Carol Anne Wilson of Baton Rouge, LA, Drew Wilson Kelsey (Lindsey) of Shrewsbury, MA, two step- grandchildren, John Bondo Nielsen, Anna Nielsen both of Memphis, and three great grandsons, Ian Wilson of Denver, CO, Maxwell Kelsey and Colten Kelsey both of Shrewsbury, MA.
Irene had a long, productive life, centered around faith and family. She was an active member of St. Michael Catholic Church from its beginning as a parish, and was for most of her life a daily communicant. She was active in the Mothers’ Club at St. Michael’s School, serving a term as its president, and the Mothers’ Clubs of St. Dominic School, St. Agnes Academy, and Christian Brothers High School. She was also active in Madonna Circle and the Cenacle Retreat League, delivered food for Meals On Wheels, was a volunteer at her church and community in ecumenism, the Church Health Center, and a grateful member of Al-Anon for many years.
A funeral Mass will be held at St. Michael Church, 3863 Summer Avenue, Memphis, on December 30 at 10:00 A.M., preceded by visitation at 9:30 A.M. at the church. Interment will be held at Calvary Cemetery, Memphis. Family and close friends are welcome.
