Abraham Wilson Jr.

Abraham Wilson Jr. was born on January 31, 1929, in Sneads, Florida, located only a stone's throw away from the enchanted Chattahoochee river. Affectionately called Junior or Uncle Junior by his brother, sisters, and host of nieces and nephews, Abraham was the patriarch of the family. You could always call on "Junior' in a time of a crisis, he was always only a phone call away.

He was the second born child of Abraham Wilson Sr. and Rossie Lee Wilson. His father passed away when “Junior” was only nine days old. In 1931, Abraham and his mother moved to Quincy, Florida where they lived with his mother's extended family and his grandmother, Annie Carroll. Annie would eventually raise him into adulthood. He would learn the true meaning of family, devotion, and protection for those he loved. It was also in Quincy where Abraham learned the full impact of Southern Segregation and the debilitating laws of Jim Crow, ”Stay In Your Place Boy" but Abe did not.

On October 1, 1955 at the age of 20 years old, Abraham left behind the bondage of sharecropping and said goodbye to the tobacco farm and joined the United States Air Force. In the Air Force he would gain his High School diploma, spar with Sugar Ray Robinson, and travel the world. In 1960 he was stationed in Brindisi, Italy, where he would meet his Italian Princess, Maria Santoro in her hometown of Taranto. Abraham asked her to marry him on sight while she was making sandwiches in her fathers grocery store. However, Abe had to undergo nine months of closely supervised dates with the at least five of the ten members of the Santoro family, which always included either her mother or father, or both. Ultimately he received the blessing of her father and on July 17, 1961 they would become husband and wife. Later that year they welcomed their first child and son, Vinson. Two years later, they were blessed with the birth of their beautiful baby girl, Anna Maria. Having been denied a quality education; Abraham strongly believed in education especially for his children and grand children.

Staff Sergeant Abraham Wilson Jr. was relieved of Active Duty Service after 20 years and two days on November 30, 1971. Who would have ever thought this man, from such a humble and challenging beginning, would become a Vietnam Veteran with advanced skills in interrogation tactics, and be responsible for guarding some of our country's darkest secrets of the cold war era.

After Honorable service, Abraham was not content to relax, but instead, he worked as a San Bernardino Regional Park Ranger, where he worked for an additional 20 years. Up until he passed peacefully amongst his family and friends he remained a dutiful member of St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church.

He is survived by his wife Maria Wilson and children Vinson and Anna Maria Wilson. Grandchildren; Christiana Maria Wilson, Donovan Abranson Wilson, Diondre Marcel Wilson, and their mother, Alicia Ramirez Wilson. Aunt, Homerzella Carroll, Neptune, New Jersey. Sister, Helen Ward, Sanford, Florida. Sister, Dolores Bradwell, New York, New York. Sister, Edna Oliver, Sanford, Florida. Brother, James Bradwell Jr, Sanford, Florida and Sister, Algerina Bradwell-Paris. Sisters Antonia LaNeve and Lucia Fortunato, Brother Franco Santoro all who reside in Italy.

Abraham was preceded in death by his father Abraham Wilson Sr. His mother Rossie Lee Bradwell. Brother, Cecil Wilson. His Sisters, Clementine Scott, Ethel Thornton and Charlotte Bradwell.

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Family also includes numerous nieces and nephews who grieve for their popular, funny and well loved uncle.