Woodrow Wilson Coble

When Wilson was young, his family relocated to Charlotte where he attended Quail Hollow Middle School and then South Mecklenburg High School. Throughout his years attending Charlotte City Schools, he played both baseball and football, as catcher and nose guard respectively. Though he did not continue playing sports after high school, his love for them never dimmed. He was an avid sports fan all his life and especially loved cheering on his favorite teams: in the college football world he loved the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the SC Gamecocks; when it came to college basketball he was a diehard NC Tarheels fan; and when he caught an NFL game he would always root for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

When Wilson was in his late 20s, he frequently visited K-Mart on Freedom Drive, and on one particular occasion, he met a pretty cashier who would one day become his wife – Michele Ramsey. After five wonderful years of dating, they were married on February 15th, 1997 in Charlotte.

A determined and ambitious pair, they accomplished so much together and saw many dreams come to fruition. Around 2010, Wilson took his years of restaurant chef experience and opened his very own food truck, and, alongside Michele, served hot dogs, hamburgers, and chicken sandwiches, among many other things. They followed the philosophy that if it could easily be made on a food truck, they were going to offer it. Though his food truck dream eventually came to an end a few years later, his drive to feed his community never stopped.

In fact, Wilson saw cooking as one of many ways he could support community members in need. With a special place in his heart for the homeless, Wilson often packaged up home cooked meals and delivered them to the residents of Charlotte’s Tent City and other homeless camps. Innately compassionate and generous, if Wilson had cash and someone was in need, he would hand it over without a second thought; he would readily go without if it meant providing for someone else.

Wilson was also incredibly passionate about ending child abuse and supporting those who had been victims of child abuse. Wilson spent a significant amount of time working with Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA), eager to learn any and everything they could teach him, and eventually branched out to create his own charitable motorcycle organization named Street Angelz in 2020. The Street Angelz motto is “We Exist To Help Others” and they proudly showcase that belief on all of their clothing and in all of their conversations and interactions. The Street Angelz goal is to organize rides and other events to raise money, and otherwise support, members of the community and different causes close to their hearts. Notably, in the short time since their formation, the Street Angelz have raised money for the National Scleroderma Foundation, which cost Wilson’s mother her life in 2012. Although Wilson was the heart and soul of the Street Angelz, his family and friends are dedicated to honoring his legacy by continuing the great work the Street Angelz has done.

Despite spending so much time riding motorcycles and cooking for others as part of his community aid, he often pursued those activities for pleasure as well. When Wilson was able to find the time, he enjoyed taking leisurely springtime joyrides on his 2002 Harley-Davidson Road King he fondly named “Bertha.” Furthermore, he was hooked on cooking with his smoker and even fantasized about opening a BBQ food truck one day. At home, he could often be found playing with his and Michele’s beloved fur babies, their sweet pups, Flower, Lucky, and Little Man.

Wilson was resilient, strong, and driven – he had to be to overcome and achieve all that he did in his life – and he never let the hardships and obstacles harden him. He always found a reason to smile and relished in every opportunity to make someone laugh. Wilson’s silly side would shine through when he would make up rhyming jingles on the spot after he heard someone around him casually say something intriguing. As if Wilson needed to be any more incredible, he often graciously volunteered to be a model for his mom, a Mary Kay Consultant, when she needed to test new cosmetic products.

As the truest definition of someone who never met a stranger, his loved ones often joked that he would talk to a door if it would talk back. In his numerous conversations with family, friends, and strangers, he had a knack for knowing just what to say to comfort the other person, even if he didn’t actually know in detail what they were going through. He could comfortably relate to anyone and was always ready and available to listen and provide gentle words of wisdom.

Between his passion and dedication to helping his neighbors and those in need, and his endearing, dynamic personality which charmed all those lucky enough to know him, Wilson will be forever remembered as an extraordinary human being who was taken from us far too soon.

Those left to honor Wilson and continue his legacy include his wife of 25 years, Michele Coble and their three dogs; his cherished longtime friends, Teresa Currier (John) and Ann Gaston; his parents-in-law, Ronald and Jackie Ramsey; his brothers-in-law, Ronnie and Matthew Ramsey; his treasured Street Angelz family, the dear folks who are continuing on the quest to make the world a better place; and all the other adored family members and friends who loved Wilson so much.

Wilson was preceded in death by his mom, Barbara Porter and his maternal grandmother, Doris Burgos.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from 1:00pm until 2:00pm on Tuesday, February 22nd, 2022 at Forest Lawn West Funeral Home, 4601 Freedom Drive in Charlotte. The memorial service will begin at 2:00pm in the Paul Helton Chapel at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Wilson’s memory to the Street Angelz, with checks made payable to Ann Gaston, or to the National Scleroderma Foundation.