William (Bill) Birk Wilson
William (Bill) Birk Wilson, 80, of Owensboro, died on Jan. 27, 2022, at home. He was born June 28, 1941, in Winchester, to Robert R.“Bullet” Wilson and Margaret Atkinson Wilson.
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He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Nancy Tong Wilson; his children, Shane Wilson (Barbara), Wade Wilson (Allison Kyle), and Jessica Wilson Beckmann (Jared); his grandchildren, Hayden, Riley, Kade, and Crew Wilson and Bret and Brooks Beckmann, born 30 minutes after he passed; and his brother, R. Allen Wilson (Beulah).
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He was a graduate of Owensboro High School in 1959 and Kentucky Wesleyan College in 1963. He participated in sports while at Owensboro High, basketball from 1957 to 1959, all regional, and golf from 1957 to 1959. He was on the student council and in the All-State Chorus. At Kentucky Wesleyan, he was on the golf team from 1959 to 1963, vice-president of the student body and senior class, and president of the interfraternity council. He was an avid golfer and Owensboro Country Club golf champion.
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He resided in Palm Beach County, Florida for 11 years and worked for South Florida Liquor Distributors, where he won numerous sales awards. In 1985, he returned to Owensboro to go into business with his family. He was co-owner of Star Trax Video rental stores. For the past ten years, he worked at Industrial Leasing Corporation, before retiring in 2019 due to Alzheimer’s.
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The family would like to thank Hospice of Western Kentucky for its excellent care.
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Cardinal Cremation Society is providing final arrangements. He has requested there be no service.
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The Dad We Had
The Dad we had taught us the important things in life:
to never skip a chance to dance with your wife,
to lead with a firm handshake and a friendly smile,
and that doing the right thing often means an extra mile.
The Dad that we had never came across a strange face
He made time to meet new people no matter the place.
A chance encounter with him could gain you a life-long friend
and as long as he was in the room, the party didn't end.
The Dad that we had was fiercely loyal and full of pride.
Even when we were wrong, he was always on our side.
If someone ever pointed out a loved one's defects,
He would simply grin and retort "They're Just perfect."
The Dad that we had lost all his memories before he passed.
yet reintroducing ourselves as his family was met with elation unsurpassed.
He spent his final days surrounded by love, warm in his bed,
And lots of "I love you's" were many of the last words he heard and said.
The Dad that we had lived fully and lovingly for 80 years,
and the time we had with him was well worth all of today's tears.
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