Robert Shoff Wilson Jr.

Robert (Bob) Shoff Wilson, Jr., age 63, passed away peacefully on May 15, 2019 in Harrisonburg, VA with family by his side. Bob is survived by his wife Marta Wilson, mother Evelyn Wilson of Lewistown, PA, brother J. Douglas Wilson of Dallas, TX, brother Jeffrey (Robin) Wilson of Lewistown, PA, aunt Johanna (Richard) Costic of Naples, FL, brother-in-law Donald (Gail) Carter of Morristown, TN, and brother-in-law Daniel (Angela) Carter of Rocky Mount, NC. He is also survived by seven nieces and nephews, Ashley (John) McClellan, Maxwell (Megan) Wilson, Theodore Wilson, Margaret Wilson, Sage Carter, Knox Carter, and Kase Carter. Bob leaves behind hundreds of friends, cousins, and colleagues he loved dearly. He is preceded in death by his father Robert Shoff Wilson, Sr.

Born at the U.S. Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, VA, Bob was raised in Lewistown, PA. His personal values and mercurial wanderlust emerged early on. For example, he ran away from nursery school in protest of a fake birthday cake incident. Fortunately, his parents discovered him a few blocks away, but he refused to return to that school due to a lack of vision alignment with his teacher. At age 8, he headed out on foot once again this time with his younger brother, Jeff, aiming to see the Ice Capades in Harrisburg, PA. Thankfully, they were tracked down by their dad a few miles out of town. From there, a full, meaningful, adventurous, and principled life continued to unfold for Bob.

Bob had a curiosity and an insatiable desire to learn his entire life. When something caught his interest, he immersed himself in learning everything he could about it. Many of Bob’s interests turned into amazing hobbies, passions, and pursuits.

During high school, Bob was selected by Rotary International to serve as an international exchange student in Sweden, which was his first trip abroad. He was a good student and a member of the wrestling and track teams. During his teenage years he also spent a lot of time with his Aunt Virginia, Uncle Don, and cousins Skip and Cyndy on the Sterling farm helping care for and riding horses.

At one point in his life, Bob gave several friends and family members the book, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, which contains a passage that accurately describes Bob, who was true to his heart and path in life:

“All paths are the same: they lead nowhere. ... Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good; if it doesn't, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the other doesn't. One makes for a joyful journey; as long as you follow it, you are one with it. The other will make you curse your life. One makes you strong; the other weakens you.”

A licensed Professional Geologist (PG), Bob received his Bachelor of Science degree in Geology and Hydrology from Virginia Tech in 1977. For several years, he owned the company Cosmic Gems and enjoyed annual trips to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show as a gem dealer. As an act of community service, he was also a motorcycle safety instructor during that time. In 1990, Bob joined Draper Aden Associates in Blacksburg, VA where he worked with a stellar team of engineers and geologists on environmental initiatives and served as a regular guest lecturer in the Geology Department at Virginia Tech.

In 1990, Bob met Marta in Blacksburg, VA when she was in graduate school at Virginia Tech. They quickly became inseparable with many friends and family marveling at how well-suited they were for each other. Who would have guessed that a geologist and a psychologist would be so compatible? Bob and Marta married in 1996 and enjoyed a life together filled with laughter and adventure. A devoted husband, Bob was always up for donning his tuxedo and regularly attending charity fundraisers with Marta. He was romantic, handsome, and debonair. Marta describes their relationship as ONE LOVE.

An entrepreneur, Bob founded the company One Environmental, where he directed environmental consulting projects for over a decade. In 2008, he joined Transformation Systems, Inc. (TSI) as Chief Operations Officer where his leadership of systems, technology, and infrastructure enabled TSI to rank as one of Inc. 5000’s “Fastest Growing Companies in America” for 5 consecutive years. Bob cared deeply about each one of TSI’s employees, and the policies and processes he put in place contributed to a company culture recognized by the Washington Post as a “Best Place to Work” in the DC Metro region.

Known as “Captain Bob” and also as “Father Bob, Co-Founder of the Church of Recreation” by many of his friends, Bob relished entertaining as well as sharing stories, philosophies, and observations. Being with people, talking to everybody, and making everyone laugh brought him great joy. Bob generously shared his beautiful smile with all, and his friends and family knew he was always ready to have fun and appreciate life. He liked collecting and riding motorcycles; in fact, on their two-week honeymoon which Bob planned, he and Marta spent one week exploring the coast of California on a touring bike stopping at picturesque inns along the way. With a passion for nature, Bob took great pleasure in experiences such as hiking, rollerblading, scuba diving, canoeing, snow skiing, water skiing, and hang gliding with those he loved. He also competed successfully in several multi-day, solo kayak races in the Florida Everglades. There were few dull moments in Bob’s life.

Never in one place for very long, Bob was a man in motion. With their work at TSI, he and Marta spent a lot of time at their apartment in Alexandria, VA having fun in the city. Bob also delighted in entertaining and relaxing at their home in the Shenandoah Valley near Harrisonburg, VA. Live music was a favorite pastime, and in the past decade or so, Bob attended many concerts including Tom Petty, Tina Turner, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, B.B. King, Neil Young, The Grateful Dead, Joan Armatrading, and Ziggy Marley to name a few. Bob also treasured spending time in the mountains camping with friends, hosting outdoor parties, driving his John Deere tractor, lounging in the not-so-hot tub, playing a mean harmonica, and burning huge bonfires at his property on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Floyd, VA. Earlier this year, Bob made a final trip to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show with his nephew Ted, who is also a geologist, and they had a great time shopping for gems and exploring the natural beauty of the area.

More than any other recreational activity, Bob cherished being on his boat, Sapphire, sailing on the Chesapeake Bay from April through November. In 2011, he and his crew placed first in the ARC DelMarVA, a weeklong, 450-mile sailboat race around the DelMarVa Peninsula. When Sapphire came out of the water each winter, he and Marta would set out on bareboat charters in the Caribbean sailing from island to island, exploring the wonders of nature, and making new friends along the way.

With a giving heart, Bob supported many socially responsible causes. An organization that was especially near and dear to him is Easterseals DC MD VA where he enjoyed volunteering (and inviting his friends to join him) in the Community Respite Program interacting one-on-one with children with disabilities and special needs, including children of wounded warriors, giving parents a critical break from often overwhelming caregiver duties. In memory of his leadership, Easterseals will be naming the Robert S. Wilson, Jr. Community Respite Program in his memory. A frequent and lifelong blood donor, Bob was designated as a VIP Donor by the American Red Cross (ARC), and throughout the years he attended many ARC fundraisers in the National Capital Region. An avid sailor, Bob was a long-time champion and advocate of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and its mission to “Save the Bay”. His family has designated the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, www.cbf.org, for charitable contributions in his memory.

As he wished, Bob was cremated. His ashes will be scattered in the ocean along with Marta’s at the time of her passing. All family and friends are invited to celebrate Bob’s unique and charming life on Saturday, August 10th at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 101 Callahan Drive, Alexandria, VA 22301 from 6pm-11pm. Details may be found at bob-wilson-celebration-of-life.eventbrite.com.