Jack Vernon Wilson

Jack was born in Rochester, Minnesota on the seventeenth of March 1921 to Vernon and Myrtle Wilson. He grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and graduated from high school in Wausau, Wisconsin. He attended Carroll College, near Milwaukee, Wisconsin for one year prior to entering military service in the United States Air Force. His training started in Oxnard, California to Roswell, New Mexico and then Del Valle Air Base in Austin, Texas. It was here that he met his future wife, Jackie Miner, at a campus dance and blind date, in Gregory Gymnasium. They were married on the thirteenth of July 1943.

Jack was a troop carrier pilot of C-47’s in the Mediterranean Theatre from September 1943 until December 1944. During that time, he went into Italy from North Africa, after Sicily was secured, and then did spy drops over Yugoslavia. He was then on detached service to the Imphal Valley in northern India and Burma.

His squadron returned to Italy for the invasion of southern France in August 1944.

He returned to the States in December of 1944 and took his wife, Jackie Miner, for rest and relaxation, to Miami, Florida. He was then based at San Marcos Air Field until May 1945.

Soon after, the couple moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he joined William Hoffman & Associates to begin his career in graphic arts and advertising. In the spring of 1948, they moved, along with her parents, Judge and Laurette Miner, to Austin, Texas. In 1949, Jack and Judge formed the “Graphic Art Studio,” starting in the old German Free School on 15th Street and Lavaca. They then moved to a location at 19th Street and Lavaca, above the Studtman’s Photo Lab.

After Judge passed away, Jack moved the Art Studio to a Nueces location. It is here where he began the growth of his studio, by joining with several friends and fellow artists, many of whom would become lifelong friends. Don Collins became his partner in the Art Studio, and head illustrator, at that time, and they kept the business in force until closing 53 years later.

Jack enjoyed many outdoor activities and shared those with so many of his friends and family; golfing, fishing, trips to Sonora for hunting deer and turkey, as well as ducks in southeast Texas. These outings always included camping, campfires, good “fireside stories”, and of course, great food. Jack and CB Smith, teamed up to make most of the meals as campsite cooks, and usually wore their white chef hats, as a badge of honor.

Some of his many dear friends and adventurers were: Don Collins, Charlie McAden, Dwain Kelley, Ralph Moreland, Roy Braun, Jimmy McCorquodale, Johnnie Jones, Jay Barnes, Norman Higgins, Bill Rider, CB Smith, Jr. and Willie Stromberg. These adventures, and the participants, left indelible memories with all of us that were fortunate enough to get to hear them retold many times, as well as when they grew larger than life, as the years passed!

Jack is survived by his wife, Jackie; five children, Bambi, Jeffrey, Tim and wife, Cathy, Wendy and Cindy Nolen; and by four grandchildren, Zach and Nick Wilson, and Michael and Kelsey Nolen.

Jack was preceded in death by his son Ronnie, in 1998, after his service in Vietnam.

The family wishes to express their sincere appreciation to the staff at Seton Medical Center on West 38th, on both the 4th floor and the ICU A Unit, for their wonderful care over the last 7 months.

We also want to express our profound thanks to all of the caregivers at Regency Nursing Care Center, especially Melissa, Sonia, Jesse, JD, Jennelyn, Julia, Jaylynn Angelique and Autumn, as well as many others there. You did more than manage his health needs, you made him feel whole again. Jack always loved his chair facing the hall, to greet anyone passing by, so he could invite them in for a chat!

A final thanks to Aline Zerinque, FNP, and Dr. David Pohl, MD, as you both provided Jack with loving care and comfort for his last years. He never missed an opportunity to talk excessively about each of them, and how much he loved them.

A visitation will be held from six o’clock until eight o’clock in the evening on Thursday, the sixth of October 2011, at Cook Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas.

A Graveside Service with US Air Force Honors will be conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Friday, the 7th of October, at Austin Memorial Park, 2800 Hancock Drive, Austin.

In lieu of flowers and the customary remembrances, memorials may be sent to First Tee of Austin, 5501 Ed Bluestein Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78723 or e-mail to info@firstteeaustin.org or to the Wounded Warriors Project at www.woundedwarriorsproject.org.