David Theodore Wilson

David Theodore Wilson, age 66, of Knoxville, Tennessee passed away on Friday, March 8, 2024. David was met at the gates of Eternity by his father Donald Roby Wilson and Mother Joan Shirley Field, nephew-in-law, Jim Deagon, and many of the feline and canine companions he'd been blessed to care for over the course of his life.

David was a compassionate person, dedicated to helping disadvantaged and marginalized people throughout his entire life. He was determined and had the strength to go out on his own at 17, traveling 500 miles to Tennessee to build the life that he wanted. When he arrived he enrolled at Carson-Newman University and worked his way through school, graduating on the Dean's List. Over the years David worked at Lake Shore Mental Health Institute, St. Mary's Hospital, and Covenant Health. During his career, he made a consistent effort to help people shunned by society that had few means and fewer support networks. He would leave home early and come home late, frequently giving of his own means to help his clients in their day to day lives and necessities.

With his naturally good sense of direction David was never a stranger anywhere, whether in Knoxville, Virginia, Maryland, or Maine, and this gift served him well in everything he did. As a natural speaker he knew how to talk to just about anyone and he put this gift to good use. In his private life, he wanted the best for his children and was incredibly supportive of each of them and their interests whether choir, Boy Scouts, theater, or any number of sports. He rejoiced in his sons' singing. He believed in the Lord God with all his heart, all his mind, and all his spirit. This conviction led him all through his life, even to the point of becoming an ordained minister in his youth and leading a small church. One of the most significant moments stemming from his ordination was being asked to unite in marriage his niece Amber and her husband Jim Deagon. He held this to be an incredible blessing and was ever grateful.

As a young adult he enjoyed hiking, caving, white water rafting, running, wrestling, and playing baseball and tennis. He was a voracious reader, typically books on faith, the revolutionary and civil wars, and family history, but also his classic comic books. He was a passionate sports fan and loved watching baseball, basketball, football, and soccer - both in person and on T.V. He loved making people laugh and often pranked his nieces and nephews much to their annoyance and his delight, especially Leif and Caleb. Perhaps beyond all of this, he loved to sing, make music, and worship through it. Music had a special place in his heart and was in many ways integral to his being. He was blessed with a beautiful voice and a sound ear for music, even writing his own, and at a certain point performed in his very own band. At Christ Chapel, which he long attended, he was blessed to lead music. Music was his supreme delight.

Family was important to David, and he always remembered and cherished his roots. He loved his parents and the farm he grew up on, and made sure to visit as frequently as he was able. He had a natural love for the land and the people that lived upon it, past and present combined. As the oldest of 4 siblings, he took on a great deal of responsibility and carried that with him his entire life. He was an anchor of the family, ever aware of the importance of keeping people together, and he made every effort to bring family together. He wanted their ties and family history to endure throughout the generations. He loved very deeply. He delighted in his many nieces and nephews, especially including his newest great-nephews. He was ever thinking of them, asking after them, checking in with them, talking with them - always with an abiding sense of love and interest.

He leaves behind to celebrate his homecoming his dedicated sons, Travis Daniel Wilson and Brennan Dana Shell Wilson; siblings, Jefferson Todd (Terry) Wilson, Steven Judd (Christie) Wilson, Penelope Jo (Charles) Stork; nieces, Amber Rae Deagon, Paige Elizabeth (Devin) Fahnestock, Hope Autumn Wilson; nephews, Leif Van (Ashwini) Wilson, Camden Valdemar Wilson, Caleb Daniel (Rachel) Stork, Jonathan Lawrence (Tara) Stork, Mitchell Aaron Wilson, Nathaniel Adam Wilson, Thomas Wilson Stork; great-nephews, Arthur Van Wilson and Oliver James Wilson; great-niece, Natalie Grace Stork; and innumerable cousins and friends across the globe.

Family and friends will gather at Berry Funeral Home, 3704 Chapman Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920, on Thursday, March 14, 2024 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm for a visitation, and funeral service to follow at 7:00pm. Interment will be at a later date at Locust Grove Cemetery, 13356 Glissans Mill Rd., Mount Airy, MD 21771. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Tennessee Valley Coalition For The Homeless, P.O. Box, 27051, Knoxville, TN 37927. Online condolences and fond memories may be shared with the Wilson family at www.berryfuneralhome.com

Berry Funeral Home

3704 Chapman Highway

Knoxville, TN 37920

865-577-6666