I’m Dave Simpson, Bill’s son-in-law, and I’m honored that Bill’s family has asked me to tell you a little about Bill’s life.

Bill died doing what he loved best, flying the airplane he built with his own hands. He led a rich, full and happy life, and he’ll be missed by all who knew him.

Last Monday, Bill was flying his aircraft home from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he had attended the huge annual fly-in they have there. Marilyn spoke to him the night before the crash and he was in great spirits but feeling a little tired from the journey. We’ll never know for certain what happened as he approached Salt Lake City the next day, but all indications are that Bill became unconscious, possibly due to a heart attack or a stroke. He remained unconscious as the plane dove straight down, crashing into a remote 7,000 foot bluff near the town of Echo, Utah.

For a man who loved to fly and who hated hospitals and who hated the idea of getting old, we can take comfort in the fact that he passed quickly and never suffered. Nevertheless, the suddenness and the shock of his passing effects us all.

William Gordon Wilson was born on May 3^rd, 1933, in Alton, Illinois. His father was a chemical engineer and his mother raised her two sons, Bill and his brother Dick. Bill spent his whole childhood in Alton and graduated from Alton High School. In 10^th grade choir class he met Marilyn Andrews, the daughter of his 7^th grade English teacher, and they began dating. After he earned his degree in chemical engineering from University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, he skipped the graduation ceremony and instead spent the day getting married to Marilyn, who at that time had been his girlfriend for 7 years. That was June 18, 1955. They had planned a 2-week honeymoon at a cabin in Colorado, but Bill, always the restless one, wanted to leave after 2 days. Bill had worked in Berkeley the summer before and promised to bring Marilyn to paradise after they got married. So they spent their honeymoon in a car driving west to Berkeley.

While in Berkeley, Bill and Marilyn formed long-lasting friendships that still remain. Albert Hall became a soulmate and a confidante for Bill. Then there were the Fertile Turtles—a group of couples who were all starting their families at about the same time and who provided comeraderie and mutual support.

For the next decade, Bill and family alternated between residences in Northern and Southern California. He worked for such corporations as Shell Chemical, General Electric, and several smaller firms as well, but was never really happy working for someone else. In 1976, he started his own manufacturing company, Taurus Plastics, located in San Leandro near Oakland. He was both successful and happy there--it allowed him to do the engineering he loved and to maintain control of the operations of the business. He was proud of his business, and even though his son Scott had gone to medical school and became a doctor, Bill continued to tease him about taking over. He would half-jokingly paraphrase that famous scene from the movie "The Graduate"…"Scott--have you considered a career in plastics?"

During these years Bill and Marilyn raised an incredible family. Nancy was born in 1957, then came Karen in 1959, and finally Scott in 1962His kids were academic high-achievers and active in sports. All of them entered helping professions and continue to use their abilities to teach and care for others. Bill was extremely proud of his children, of their accomplishments and of who they became as people.

Back in 1982, Bill and Marilyn bought property on Bitney Springs Rd. here in Grass Valley, putting a small trailer on it and visiting it on weekends. Bill improved the property by creating a pond and building a deck and a well house, and he looked forward to building a house and retiring here. In 1988, the 49er fire raced through the property, destroying the trailer and many trees, but sparing anything Bill had himself built. Bill was initially feeling negative about building on the scorched property, but as the land became alive again, he began to make plans to design and build his dream house. And so he did, and many of you have seen his house and know the years of pleasure it gave him to see it come together. So in 1997, he sold off Taurus Plastics and he and Marilyn moved up here full time.

Those of us who knew Bill at the time had some concern that there wouldn’t be enough to keep Bill happy up here among the pines, but he quickly developed a great lifestyle for himself. First, he had the project of finishing his airplane. Back in the shop at Taurus Plastics Bill began to build his own Glastar aircraft. Bill’s work ethic, his attention to detail, and his love of engineering made this project ideally suited to him. When he moved to Grass Valley and completed the plane, he began to become involved with an amazing group of pilots and their spouses. These were his peers…men who valued all the things that he valued in life…men whom he respected and admired. He truly found his home.

Bill finished his airplane and it was first flown in December of 2000. He loved to fly around and visit friends and family around Northern California and to join his friends at "flyins." The Oshkosh AirFest was the last of these flyins, and as he spoke to Marilyn on the night before the accident, he told her what a great time he had had there.

Bill had other interests, too. He loved jazz music, especially with a bent toward blues and gospel music, and it was usually on the radio when he was around. When he and Marilyn were on a date in 1950, he got to hear a young and energetic Nat King Cole. Music spoke to his heart and soul, and the music kindled a kinship he felt toward black people around issues of freedom and human rights.

Bill was a loyal fan of the San Francisco Giants, and of the San Francisco 49ers. If he couldn’t watch the game, he would at least listen on the radio. He would plan activities and meals around the games, and in the winter it would always be soup in front of Monday Night Football for the whole family.

Bill also enjoyed the many fishing/camping/boating trips he took while the kids were growing up, and often the family would join Albert Hall on his houseboat on the delta.

Perhaps the most significant thing to remember about Bill is that he was an excellent leader, organizer, and provider for his family. He always handled the details and considered the ramifications of any decision and took care of them. He was also a great source of strength for his family—he was solid, dependable, decisive, and responsible. He was conservative and safe, but at the same time he was a seeker and an initiator. He was a manifestor of his dreams.

And so… Bill died doing what he loved best, flying the airplane he built with his own hands. He led a rich, full and happy life, and he’ll be missed by all who knew him.