David Claude Wilson

David "Dave" Claude Wilson, age 86, was called home by his loving Heavenly Father on
March 24, 2025. Dave was born August 31, 1938, the third son of Joseph Frank and Gladys
Mary Wilson, in Miami, Oklahoma. Winning the State Championship his senior year in
extemporaneous speaking, Dave attended and graduated from the Miami High School,
where he excelled in debate and public speaking. Following in the footsteps of his
much-admired older brother Dale, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and began
an exciting and fulfilling 20-year career. Highlights of his service were the selection to the
Naval Academy Preparatory School as a pre-admission course to the academy. In his
youthful excitement of living the Marine life of amphibious landings, field maneuvers, and
weapons training, Dave requested a reassignment to the Fleet Marine Force. He later
admitted that it was one of the major mistakes of his life. Dave had successful tours of duty
as Drill Instructor at the Marine Recruit Depot at Parris Island, South Carolina, selection for
duty on the Inspector and Instructor Staff of a reserve infantry unit in West Virginia,
selection for the Marine Corps Warrant Officer Program, and subsequent promotion to
Warrant Officer. Dave was commissioned into the Officer Corps as a Brig Officer, and later
to his first love, as an Infantry Officer. He was privileged to serve in combat as a Rifle
Company Commander in the jungles of Vietnam. After a series of assignments as Company
Commander of various Marine units, he was selected to serve as one of thirty-six U.S.
Armed Services Personnel to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization as a
Military Observer immediately after the 1973 Yom-Kippur War in Israel. Dave retired in 1977
to accept a managerial position in the poultry processing industry which included Senior
Supervision of Operations in Florida, occasionally operating supervision to North Carolina
and Alabama operations.

Dave was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Robert Lee Wilson, Dale Frank
Wilson; and sister, Mary Margaret Wilson Bailey.

He is survived by his wife, Kathleen Wilson; four children, Bill Wertman and partner Billy
Fontaine, Dr. John Wilson and wife Tasha, Mary Lee Hodges and husband Henry, Joseph
Frank Wilson and wife Paola; nine grandchildren Jackson Wilson, Alena Wilson, Alex Wilson,
Henry David Hodges and wife Janet, Margaret Ream and husband Ethan, Harold Hodges
and fiancée Bailey Barbounis, Joe Wilson Jr., Danny Wilson and Lauren Wilson; six
great-grandchildren Theodore, John Henry, and Bennett Hodges, Beatrice and Albert
Ream, and Bonnie Lynn Hodges; three step-children, Erin Francis Miller and husband William,
Ryan Owen Garrity and wife Stefanie, Kristin Ganzer Pond and husband Curtis; nine
step-grandchildren Dee Hodges, Dana Hodges, Liam Miller and wife Elissa, Coleman Miller
and wife Hannah, Kahl Miller, Roan Miller, Aiden Garrity, Gavin Garrity, Irelyn Garrity; and three
step-great-grandchildren Eliza Anne, Gwen, and Claire Miller.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, April 2, 2025, beginning at 11:00 a.m., at
Glendale Presbyterian Church with Pastor Bill Richoux officiating.

Arrangements and services are under the direction of Davis-Watkins Funeral Home of DeFuniak Springs.