Don Taylor Wilson

On Tuesday, June 30, 2020, Don Wilson, 81, of Richmond, Virginia passed away after his short battle with brain cancer (GBM). We are comforted that he rests in the eternal home of his Lord and Savior. Don was born on May 5, 1939 in Barboursville, Kentucky to his parents Dexter and Gladys (Taylor) Wilson. He graduated from Florida Southern College and ultimately, moved to Virginia. He started his career in teaching but became a realtor until his retirement. During his life, he enjoyed managing his rental properties, talking to his cousins and watching ACC basketball with his best buddy, Wayne. Don was one-of-a-kind. He spent a questionable amount of time perfecting his One-Hole Bird Feeder to entice just the right birds and avoid those pesky squirrels and much maligned pigeons. We never knew if his “only-song-birds-no-squirrels” feeder was pure ingenuity or if it was the fact that he threw corn on the ground in another location to satisfy the squirrels. He often enjoyed his famous kale, spinach and beet shakes as he touted the evils of white flour. He believed the best foods were those as close to the way nature grew them. Although that rule never seemed to apply to mint chocolate chip ice cream or any ice cream for that matter. He favored classic movies without any comprehension as to age appropriateness unless most 10-year olds watch the nearly 4-hour movie Lawrence of Arabia. After a time, we assumed most movies worth watching involved dust, a sweaty gunslinger and a horse. Ultimately, he was correct on many of his top picks except a fundamental disagreement that 3 successful escapees out of 76 who attempted, does not a Great Escape make. But in the end, most stood the test of time and indeed “…Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Quirkiness aside, he was a father who adored his children and grandchildren. He loved playing chess with his son, spending time with his daughters, and watching his grandchildren play sports. He was a proud granddad who thought each hit, goal, kick, or catch by his grandkids was worthy of ESPN’s highlight reel. He thought pictures taken by his daughter were works of art, that a walk with his other daughter meant she should be on the cover of Fitness Magazine, that a successful sale by his son meant he was destined for top salesman status, that meals cooked by his son-in-law were Michelin star worthy, and that his other son-in-law needed to send his headshot to GQ for the cover. He loved his family and he showed up for all of them. He was predeceased by his parents, Dexter Wilson of Cubage, KY and Gladys Taylor of Middlesboro, KY. He is survived by his three children, Amy (Chris) Dodson of Midlothian, Ashley (Joe) Filice of Orlando, Zachary Wilson of Richmond; four grandchildren Dexter and Taylor Dodson and Anthony and Mia Filice. He is also survived by two ex-wives, Linda (Shaun) Fitzmaurice and Rashmi Sekhri, both of whom helped to care for him during his illness showing kindness and compassion all around. His remains rest at Woody Funeral Home. A graveside service will take place on Saturday, July 18 at 3:00 p.m. at Dale Memorial Park.