James Earl Wilson

James Earl Wilson, age 65, passed away suddenly at his Marysville home on December 18, 2020. Jim was raised in the College hill neighborhood of Upper Arlington where he developed lifelong friends. He attended high school at UAHS with the class of 1974. Many friends will remember his carefree days after high school delivering pizzas with his mom's red Rally Nova. His interest in cars and racing led him to the Mid-Ohio racetrack regularly over the years. And in his later years he raced go-karts at indoor tracks and finally settled into virtual racing with an elaborate gaming set up at his home. What many friends may not know is that he also enjoyed racing of a different sort. After moving to Seattle in 1979 he was convinced by his new friends to check out Longacres Racetrack and thoroughbred horse racing. Since he had the body size for a jockey, he pursued training of thoroughbreds on their workout cycles. It was a positively exhilarating experience for him but hard on his body and despite his young age he was considered too old to become a jockey. When that opportunity closed, he developed the idea of creating a virtual Longacres racetrack and he called that 'Mini-downs'. This creative endeavor captured his attention for many years and was a marvel to behold.

Jim returned to Columbus after 20 years in the Seattle area and was really happy to catch up with old friends. After a few years he moved to the Marysville area and purchased his first home while finishing up his working career at the Honda plant, retiring in 2017.

Jim is preceded in death by his parents, Albert William (A.W. or Bill) and Betty Joan Robbins. Jim is survived by his brother Steve (Kathie) in Bellingham, Washington and longtime friend Rose Bolen.