Robert Herald Wilson

Captain Robert Herald Wilson, USN, (Ret) of Virginia Beach, passed away peacefully on April 3, 2016 at the age of 96. He was born on April 29, 1919 in Arkansas City, Kansas. While in high school he was selected to the “Kansas All State” basketball team. In 1941 he graduated from Northwestern University with a BS in Commerce. Upon graduation, he entered the Naval Supply Corps in 1941 and received his training at the Harvard Business School. While serving his country, his Supply Corps duty stations included; The Navy Pier in Chicago, the USS Mizar supply ship in the South Pacific during WWII, the Oakland supply Depot in California, The Bureau of Supplies & Accounts in Washington, D.C., Com 14 and Navy Exchange in Hawaii, The David Taylor Model Basin in Maryland, the USS Iowa Battleship, Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth and the Navy Exchange in Norfolk from which he retired in 1964. During his military career he earned an MBA from the Harvard Business School. After retiring from the US Navy, he became the Vice President of Columbia Yachts and also owned Simplified Tax Service.

He was a devoted member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Baylake Pines Civic League, Virginia Beach Combers Kiwanis Club, Retired Military Officers Assoc., Broad Bay Sailing Assoc., Tarpon Bay Yacht Club and Saints & Sinners Yacht Club. He loved traveling, sailing, golfing and playing tennis.

He is survived by his wife of fifty-four years, Laurel White Wilson, daughter Beverly Wilson Rooker and husband Boyd, sons Robert Alan Wilson, Gary Randal Wilson and wife Helen and Gary Lawless Wilson. Also surviving are seven grandchildren, Tammy Thomas, Stephanie Rekeda, Eric Rooker, Ashley Wilson, Benjamin Wilson, Laura Gallimore and Paul Wilson, nine great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Captain Wilson’s Life will be held on Sunday, April 10, 2016, 3:30p.m. at Atlantic Shores Retirement Community in Virginia Beach, VA. Burial will be private in the Tidewater Veterans Memorial Garden at Rosewood Memorial Park. The family request that memorial donations be made to Audubon Society or Navy Relief Society.

Friends may offer condolences www.kellumfuneralhome.com