Aubrey Linn Wilson, Sr.

Praising God for His grace in forgiving him for all the indignities to His goodness and greatness, trusting in the forgiveness of those he may have offended or injured, thanking those of all stations of life who have helped him navigate through the briar patch of a long and productive life, and begrudgingly disengaging from loving family, friends and all things dear and familiar, but knowing a grand reunion awaits in the place Jesus has prepared for him, Aubrey Linn Wilson, Sr., departed this world on July 3, 2025 to join Joanie, his dearly departed sweetheart of 65 years.

Aubrey Linn was the son of Victoria Culp and Aubrey Lorane Wilson, born in Mayfield, Kentucky, only 57 miles from Davy Crockett’s last homestead and near the home community of his cousin, Linn Boyd, who as Speaker of the House introduced the Resolution to admit Texas into the Union. Aubrey’s father was a prominent and revered teacher, principal school superintendent and minister who was felled at the age of 42 with the scourge of that era, tuberculosis, leaving saintly Victoria to single handedly rear 3-month-old Aubrey Linn and three older siblings, Elizabeth 12, George 9 and Jack, 6 years.

In 1942 Aubrey Linn married Joan Burch, his devoted and adorable helpmate for the next 65 years and graduated from Mayfield High School. With World War II underway, he promptly enlisted as an aviation cadet in the Army Air Corps. But untreatable malaria and a tubercular lung stymied his military career. He and a friend, Tudor Jones, hitchhiked to Dallas and went to work for Lockheed Aircraft at Love Field. Joanie joined him and they jointly worked and saved to attend the University of Texas enrolling in the summer of 1944 and graduating with a B.A. in economics in May 1947.

Subsequently, he enrolled in the University of Chicago, receiving an MBA in 1950. Teaching assignments at Texas Tech and Central Michigan preceded his embarking in 1953 on a 38-year sales and marketing career with IBM. He described his career as “selling, advising, cajoling, teaching, planning, consulting, developing and implementing information systems to and for many of the greatest national and international corporate names in the world.” In the process, he was involved with some of the most interesting and stimulating people in some of the most unusual and fascinating places on the globe. After retirement from IBM, Aubrey spent more than a decade in a leadership role with Names of Lloyd’s of London fighting fraudulent insurance practices, plus corruption and cronyism in state and federal agency and executive offices.

Vivacious Joanie preceded Aubrey on February 15, 2006, leaving an indescribable void. Parents and all siblings also preceded Aubrey. And special friend Joan Clay Doan preceded him in 2014. Survivors include his love of later life and devoted wife, Kay Killen Wilson. Also surviving are son Aubrey Linn Wilson Jr, and wife, Judith Lalley Wilson, daughter, Elizabeth Wilson Fomby and husband, Howard Rene Fomby, grandchildren, Elizabeth Linn King and husband, Michael William King, Christopher Lalley Wilson and wife, Jessica Helen Trostel, Adam Wilson Fomby and wife, Mona Romezi, Jennifer Linn Fomby and wife Samantha Agnes Schwartz. Additionally, he leaves four great grandchildren, Brendan Thomas King, Caitlinn Ann King, Zoey Sophia Fomby and Zara Sadie Fomby along with numerous cousins, nephews, nieces and friends.

Aubrey was a faithful and longtime member of the Church of Christ, a Son of the American Revolution, life member of the Texas Exes, University of Chicago Alumni, member of the West Austin Rotary Club, the Huguenot Society, the Jamestown Society, the Navy League and the Civil War Round Table, and the Travis County Archaeology Society.

A memorial service will take place on Thursday, July 10th at 3pm at Weed Corley Fish, 5416 Parkcrest Drive, Austin, TX. A reception will immediately follow the service at the same location. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Aubrey Lorane Wilson and Victoria Culp Endowment at Freed-Hardeman University, 158 East Main Street, Henderson, TN 38340 or a charity of your choice.