Eugene A. Wilson

He was born March 12, 1935 to Eugene Crowe and Louise Motley Wilson of Waverly, VA, where he grew up with his beloved younger sister, Barbara. After graduating from Waverly High School, Gene attended Virginia Tech where he earned an engineering degree in 1957. While at Tech, he met Helen Paisley through a Baptist Student Union joint event with Radford College. They dated, fell in love, and married in June of 1959.

With college complete, Gene accepted his first professional position with Newport News Shipbuilding, bringing him to the area where he would spend the rest of his life. In addition to the Shipyard, over his career he was also employed by Coats & Clark and then the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, before transitioning to the US Army Training and Doctrine Command, finally retiring after more than 20 years there as a project manager. His wife Helen passed away in 1996. After retirement, Gene met and married his second wife, Betty Jo Wilson, who brought much joy to him in his later years.

Gene was a long-time member and deacon of Ivy Memorial Baptist Church in Hampton where he doted on the senior ladies, sending cards and delivering roses from his garden. He was a loving, humble man who never said an unkind word about anyone and always had a smile to share. In his spare time he loved to travel, golf, and grow roses.

He was predeceased by his first wife of 37 years, Helen Paisley Wilson; his second wife of 14 years, Betty Jo Wilson; his sister, Barbara Whelan and many close friends. He is survived by his daughter, Karen Wilson Hammond along with her husband, David and their son, John; and his son, Christopher Allen Wilson along with his wife, Teresa and their three children, Matthew, Rachel and Noah.

The family would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation and love to the staff of The Chesapeake, especially those in Memory Support who took excellent care of Gene over the last 14 months. We were all blessed by your loving and compassionate care. Thank you.

Gene loved flowers, especially roses, and he loved his church family. The family would welcome flowers or donations to Ivy Memorial Baptist Church in his memory.

A visitation for Eugene will be held Thursday, January 5, 2023 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home, 2551 N. Armistead Ave, Hampton, VA 23666 with a celebration of life service at 10:00 AM. An interment to follow the service at Parklawn Memorial Park.