Harold E Wilson

Harold lived life large. Farmer, manager, organizer, business man, entrepreneur, community leader, church deacon and elder, song leader, Sunday school teacher, devoted husband, amazing/loving father, and admired grandfather and great grandfather. A man of ideas and action, he rarely encountered failure because he was a problem solver who readily admitted his own mistakes. He played leadership roles in the School Board of Lazbuddie, Texas; Arizona Grain Co-Op; Arizona Pork Producers; B & W, Inc.; and Maid Rite Feeds. Family and friends considered him a source of wisdom, integrity and encouragement.

He had a huge heart and did everything in a big way. He adored his Heavenly Father whose sacrifice and grace were the motivating principals for his life. He loved his family, his church, God’s creation (except hail), basketball, golf, big family gatherings and good food. He loved singing almost as much as telling stories, and he loved telling stories a lot. As age progressively robbed him of his capacity to engage in some pursuits, he continued to find new ways to be useful: cooking, writing, woodworking, and designing greeting cards, to name a few. He developed wonderful recipes for smoked meats, chimichangas, and jambalaya, and could whip up a batch of pecan pralines or peanut brittle or make one of his rum cakes at a moment's notice. He built furniture, picture frames, and bird houses and feeders, which he sold to support the New Mexico Christian Children's Home. He posted daily Bible passages to his email list and FaceBook page and designed and mailed 265 birthday and anniversary cards to friends and family every year.

Harold is survived by his wife of 67 years, Peggy; his daughters Cathy (James) Sayer, Rebecca (Steve) Nuckolls, Carol (John) Dolaghan, and Robin (Steve) Grimes; daughter-in-law, Shannan Wilson; 15 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren and his brother Leon. He was preceded in death by his parents, J. Robert (Bob) and Lorene Wilson of Muleshoe, Texas; son, Tommy Wilson of Willcox, Arizona; son-in-law, Roy Gentner of Tucson Arizona; and granddaughter, Caitlin Dolaghan of Livermore, California; and half-brother, James Robert Wilson, Jr., of Lubbock, Texas.

A memorial service will be held at J-6 Church, 522 S J-6 Ranch Road, Benson, AZ 85602, Saturday, Oct. 17, at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to New Mexico Christian Children's Home, 324 S Abilene Ave., Portales, NM 88130.