Rodney J. Wilson

When Rodney ( Brown Kid ) James Wilson walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Rodney was and how he impacted those around him. Rodney was a clever and sociable person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Rodney wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Rodney was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

Rodney was born on March 19, 1987 at Sharp Hospital, Linda Vista in San Diego, CA. He was the son of Evelyn (Emmie) and Zen Wilson. Rodney was raised in San Diego, CA. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Rodney might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Rodney was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

As a young boy, Rodney was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Rodney was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with authority figures. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Rodney took part in backpacking, hiking and camping. He was a Boy Scout and a member of the Order of Arrow (in Scouts). In his spare time he liked collecting any & everything, music (guitar, drums, ect.). Rodney's memorable achievements included

Scouts - O. A., and becoming a great humanitarian to all people. Rodney had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his school years, Rodney responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. Rodney was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Rodney absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Rodney, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Rodney a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. He went to Point Loma High School. He left school in 2005, then acquired a GED in 2006. His favorite class in high school was Art, Science and Lunch. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was the one that left him alone the most. His classmates will remember him for helping out, making friends and the time he made a teacher cry.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Rodney was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Rodney was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Jeff (JR) Reynolds, Brian (Fitz) Fitzgerald, Addison Rew, Victoria Talbott (mother of Rodney's Godson). Later in life, he became friends with more people than time will allow to list, it would be easier to attach the white pages covering Ocean Beach and San Diego.

Rodney did not have any of his own children, but he had a God son, and his name is Ickny Danger Mallory.

Rodney was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker that made him strive for perfection in his work. His primary occupation was property maintenance. He was self employed for 5 years. Rodney was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Rodney had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Rodney's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

In his adult life, Rodney loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were listening and playing music (guitar, drums and other instruments that came to him naturally), he loved practicing with his friends in their band, video games, cooking, collecting and driving. Rodney had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Rodney's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Rodney derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. He did not really like school sports. Recreational sports included driving golf balls, bowling, hiking and camping. Rodney was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football (Chargers), and baseball (Padres).

Throughout his life, Rodney was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Rodney seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Rodney usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout his years, Rodney was an active member of helping anyone who needed help.

Because Rodney was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, he always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Rodney's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made him a great asset. Rodney found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Politically, Rodney was a strong supporter of groups that protested groups, and businesses that stuck it to the people. He was especially against those who hurt or were prejudice against the homeless or the less fortunate.

Though he never did anything solely for individual recognition, Rodney's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned him accolades for his many lifelong efforts. Some of his most prestigious awards he received was involved in the Boy Scouts, and the hearts of all the people he met and made friends of.

Rodney's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Rodney took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Some of his favorite vacations included canoeing the Colorado River, two weeks of hiking at Philmont in New Mexico and trips to Utah, but his most remember able vacations were the ones he took with his Grandma Scarlett. Rodney was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Rodney did not like or have one favorite pet. He had snakes, fish, hamsters, lizards, spiders, crayfish, praying mantis. He loved his pets so much that he would carefully wrap them up and put them in the freezer. He loved all animals the same.

Rodney Wilson passed away on December 10, 2010 in San Diego, CA at home. He past peacefully in his sleep. He is survived by his parents Evelyn and Zen, Grandmother- Delores, Uncle-Jim, Great Aunts and Uncle-Betty, Donna and Donald, cousins-Debbie, Brad, Brenda and their spouses and children that reside in the united states. He was also survived by his Grandmother- Lourdes, Uncles-Renato, Monchito, Lino, Arsenio, Noel, Aunts-Vivian, Caroline, Marites, and many cousins that reside in the Philippines.

His viewing is at Beardsley Mitchell Funeral Home in Ocean Beach, CA, on Saturday, December 18, 2010. A Memorial Service will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Ocean Beach, CA.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Rodney. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Rodney Wilson for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Rodney was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.