James Campbell Wilson

Dad was born on August 18, 1941 in Memphis, Tennessee. When he was young, his family moved to Collierville, Tennessee, after buying a dairy farm. He grew up there with his parents, Cecil Lavel Wilson and Mabel Emily Bernhardt Wilson, his older brother Charles William “Bill” Wilson, and his younger sister Cathy Minton Wilson Bailey.

The farm was a huge part of Dad’s life. He spent many years dairy farming while also growing corn, cotton, milo, soybeans, hay, and whatever else needed to be planted. It was hard work, but hard work was something Dad knew from an early age and carried with him throughout his life.

He attended Collierville High School, where he played football for the Collierville Dragons.

In the early 1980s, Dad made a big change and went to work for Federal Express at the World Hub in Memphis. His career with FedEx eventually brought him and the family to Tallahassee, where he continued working as a courier.

Dad also served as a reservist with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. He was incredibly proud of that part of his life and of being able to serve his community.

Later in life, Dad became an active member of Northwoods Baptist Church. Church became an important part of his life, and it was there that he met Barbara Jean Lohr McGarry and her mother, Marie Elizabeth Spilman. It didn’t take long before Barbara and Marie were simply part of the family, and Dad later married Barbara.

Anyone who knew Dad knew he usually had some kind of project going. He loved woodworking, building things, fixing things, or just spending time outside in his backyard. If something broke, Dad was going to try to fix it — or possibly break it for good — whether he knew exactly how to fix it or not.

And then there was his 1974 Ford F-250. That truck was probably one of his longest-running projects. There always seemed to be something he was tinkering with, changing, adjusting, fixing, or deciding needed to be worked on next. I’m pretty sure working on that truck was at least as much fun to him as actually driving it.

That same willingness to fix things carried over to the people in his life. If somebody needed something repaired, moved, built, or just needed another set of hands, Dad was usually one of the first people to say he could help. He would put his own things aside to help someone else. That was just who he was.

Dad loved traditional country, country and western, and rockabilly music. He could spend hours watching anything about history, especially World War II. He enjoyed The Incredible Dr. Pol and was also an avid FSU football fan.

And then there was Sonny’s BBQ. When Dad was still getting out regularly, you could pretty much count on finding him there around lunchtime. Fried okra was always a favorite, and he never turned down a big bowl of ice cream or pretty much anything sweet.

There are a lot of things I’ll remember about Dad, but probably more than anything, I’ll remember how willing he was to help. He liked working with his hands, liked figuring things out, and liked knowing he could do something for somebody else. Whether it was on the farm, at FedEx, with the Sheriff’s Office, at church, in his backyard, or working on that old Ford, that was just Dad.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Cecil Lavel Wilson and Mabel Emily Bernhardt Wilson; his brother, Charles William “Bill” Wilson; his son, Michael Wayne Wilson; Janice Evon Hyatt Wilson Leffingwell, the mother of his three sons; and his wife, Barbara Jean Lohr.

He is survived by his sons, James Alan Wilson of Thomasville, Georgia, and Brian Campbell Wilson of Tallahassee, Florida; his sister, Cathy Minton Wilson Bailey of Collierville, Tennessee; his daughter-in-law, Pamela Kalloo Ramkissoon Wilson; and his step-granddaughter, Kelly Ann Kalloo of Orlando, Florida.

Dad was also incredibly fortunate to have Rolando Valdes and Mark Kronenberger become part of his family. They were there for him day and night, helping care for him, looking out for him, and being there when I couldn’t be. They became much more than friends to Dad, and I know how much he loved and appreciated having them there. They would have moved heaven and earth for him, and I’ll always be thankful that he had them in his life.

He also leaves behind his nieces, nephews, extended family, and many friends who loved and will miss him.

A memorial service will be held at Culley’s MeadowWood Funeral Home on October 4, 2026, at 1:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Dad’s memory to Big Bend Hospice.