Mary W. Wilson

Mary Widdis Wilson passed away on March 6, 2025 at the age of 88.  She was born in Pontiac, Michigan on January 4, 1937 to the late Emmett and Grace Widdis. Mary graduated from Lake Forest Academy in 1954 and began her studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder, majoring in English and American History. She met Roger Lyndon Wilson during her junior year and they were married on June 9, 1958, at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Danville, IL. Upon graduation, Mary began teaching junior high in Denver, Colorado until their children arrived. After Roger and Mary moved to Grand Rapids in 1969 she continued her teaching career at Southkent Community Education in several different high school completion programs: for adult learners; substance abusers; homebound students; and pregnant teens and teen moms. After retirement, she and Roger returned to Colorado in 1992 where they could pursue their love of skiing. Mary enjoyed gardening, travel, walking her beloved dogs and meeting up with her book club and bridge club friends She was an avid reader and lifelong learner, auditing college classes at Aquinas College into her seventies. Mary was active in her teachers’ union and a proud liberal Democrat.

She is survived by her children Mary Margaret (Glenn) Eaton of Whitehall, MI; Kenneth Wilson of Muskegon, MI; Jennifer (Scott) Finn of La Crosse, WI and Peter Wilson, of Norfolk, VA. She is also survived by her loving grandchildren Samuel (Carly) Eaton, Elizabeth (Matt) Stone, Katherine (Matt) Shanahan, Caroline Morris, Micah Smith, Micayla and Maya Wilson and great grandchildren Violet and Adeline Eaton and Jack Stone. Mary was preceded in death by her husband Roger, sisters Nancy Mettam, Nora Wells, Helen Widdis-Melin and Jean Reeve.

A private family memorial will be held at a future date at the Chapel of the Word at Marywood. In lieu of flowers, the family suggest that any memorials be made in Mary's name to Doctors Without Borders, 40 Rector St., 16th Floor, New York, NY 10006.  Finally, the family would like to express their deep appreciation to the staff at Beacon Hill at Eastgate and Faith Hospice, and to the Dominican sisters at Marywood.

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