James Thomas Wilson

James Thomas Wilson passed away on April 14, 2023 at his home in Waverly, GA. He was born on December 11, 1942 to the late James Frank Wilson and Lennie Jewel Wilson of Manchester, GA. As a 1961 graduate of Manchester High School, he attended Berry College in Rome, GA and met his wife, Sara Townsell. They were married for 54 years until she died in 2018.

James was honorably discharged from the Air Force in 1972, having served in Shemya, Alaska and Mississippi and Florida. He finished his BA in Business at Georgia Southwestern College and received his Master’s in Public Administration in 1976. He had a variety of careers from working in the textile and blinds industry to owning his own business, Riverbank Video Productions.

He believed in life-long learning, trying to teach himself new things and stay on top of technology, including being self-taught with computers and editing software. James was a photographer who loved travelling with his wife and daughter and making videos of their adventures. He worked tirelessly to document his entire family tree on ancestry.com back to the 14th century. For many years he raised his own vegetables and loved to experiment with cooking.

In his later years, James delighted in the exploits of his two grandsons as they followed in his footsteps as high school football players. He was a dedicated UGA fan and was gratified to have seen them recently win two national championships.

James has been remembered by those who knew him as a loyal friend who was diligent about staying in touch, despite the passage of years and distance. Above all else James adored his family. He is survived by his two younger brothers Kenneth (Brenda) and David (Carolyn), his daughter Andrea Wilson Diconi, her husband Stefano and his beloved grandsons Patrick and Benjamin.

James was buried at Manchester Memorial Gardens on April 17, 2023.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.edomillerandsons.com for the Wilson family.