Richard D. Wilson

Richard “Rick” D. Wilson of Bellevue, Nebraska, passed into the arms of Jesus on Monday, September 17, 2018, after battling ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig Disease.

Richard D. Wilson was born April 7, 1948 in Storm Lake, Iowa, to Frank K. and Ruth L. (Follett) Wilson. Rick graduated from Storm Lake High School in 1966. He received a BA in German and Spanish from University of Iowa in 1971, and later receiving an MBA from University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1981.

Rick lived in Sedalia, MO, from 1972—1975, where he was employed by Sedalia Public Schools, was a Little League Minors coach, and a member of the Central Missouri Amateur Radio Club. He later lived in Roeland Park, KS. While living in Roeland Park he worked for Wilcox Electric and Commenco in Kansas City. He met and married his first wife, Barbara Jo Hall, in Fairway, KS, in 1979 while working on his MBA at UMKC.

In 1981 Rick and Barbara moved to Quincy, IL, where Maria was born in 1981 and Molly in 1983. Rick was employed by Quintron/Glenayre Electronics, where he worked in engineering, accounting, and technical authoring. He was a member of Vermont Street United Methodist Church in Quincy where he was a Sunday School teacher for 17 years. Rick was active in Uptown Toastmasters, Western Illinois Amateur Radio Club, Quincy Community Theater as a volunteer, and was also a member of the Board of Directors of Quincy Area Youth Chorus and Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association. In 1993 Rick’s wife Barbara died of cancer and he later met and married Mary Anne Sinnock of Hannibal, MO.

In 2003 Rick received a position as a Department of the Air Force civilian worker at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, NE, where he worked until retirement in 2017. He took photographs, made illustrations, and wrote articles for Offutt AFB. While working at Offutt, Rick dealt with governors, US Senators, and numerous generals and admirals. Rick also had the honor of meeting several renowned military heroes including a Tuskegee airman. Rick was a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Papillion, NE, where he taught Sunday school for 13 years, impacting the lives of many second and third graders during this time. Teaching children was his most fulfilling activity. Rick was also an active member of the Bellevue Amateur Radio Club where he was editor of the club newsletter for many years.

Rick enjoyed several hobbies including bicycling, reading, and amateur radio. His ham radio friends knew him as Whiskey Zero Kilo Tango. He was an avid VHF enthusiast and enjoyed teaching radio classes to beginners. He was a life member of ARRL, the national organization for radio amateurs and had been a licensed amateur radio operator for more than 50 years. Rick enjoyed riding the bicycle trails in the greater Omaha area and loved science fiction.

Rick is survived by his wife of 18 years Mary Anne (Sinnock) Wilson of Bellevue, NE; daughters Maria E. (Ben) Wallace of Omaha, NE, and Molly Jo (Matt) Dewell of Bellevue, NE; granddaughters Addison Rosalie Dewell and Quinn Emily Dewell of Bellevue, NE; brothers Donald A. Wilson of Lake Zurich, IL; Robert L. Wilson of Storm Lake, IA; Tim S. Wilson of Indianola, IA; brother-in-law Jim Ebbenga of Wadsworth, OH, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his first wife and mother of his children, Barbara Jo (Hall) Wilson (1945-1993); his parents, Frank K. Wilson (1908-1982) and Ruth L. (Follett) Wilson (1918-1975); and his sister, Rosalie J. Ebbenga (1941-1977).

Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, September 29, 2018 at 10:30AM at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Papillion, Nebraska. At Rick’s request attendees are encouraged to wear a silly tie. For those who do not have a silly tie, one will be provided from Rick’s collection. Visitation Friday 5-7PM at John A Gentleman Mortuaries Bellevue Chapel.

Memorials have been suggested to ALS Association, Omaha, NE; ALS in the Heartland, Omaha, NE; St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.