Poquoson city official dies from COVID-19
Assistant city manager ‘was well known for his quick wit’
Poquoson Assistant City Manager Graham Wilson died Wednesday from COVID-19.
“The 91st District has suffered a great loss today. Poquoson Assistant City Manager and former Poquoson Commissioner of the Revenue lost his courageous battle with COVID-19,” Del. Martha Mugler wrote on Facebook.
“Graham always greeted you with his infectious smile and was well known for his quick wit,” Mugler wrote. “Even from his hospital bed with very little strength he would give (text) hilarious accounts of his experiences there in the care of others.”
Wilson, 54, grew up in Poquoson and took a job at Newport News Shipbuilding shortly after graduating college. He worked at the shipyard with Ross A. Mugler, the current commissioner of the revenue in Hampton.
Ross Mugler, Martha’s husband, hired Wilson to serve as his chief deputy in 1993 until Wilson became the Commissioner of the Revenue in Poquoson.
“He worked for me, but in a lot of ways, he made me better because he mentored me. He was so steady, and so thoughtful, and so pragmatic and systematic about the way he would approach any project. He made me better,” Ross Mugler said.
Wilson was always eager to go above and beyond. He’s remembered as being quick to volunteer to assist with projects outside the scope of the office in which he was working.
“When he left the city of Hampton, I was so happy for him to go to serve the citizens of Poquoson. It wasn’t like it was a big pay increase because he was the chief deputy in Hampton, but he really wanted to work in the community that he grew up in and he played in. He felt there
would be no greater honor than to work with his fellow citizens in Poquoson,” Ross Mugler said.
Wilson served as the Poquoson commissioner of the revenue for 18 years before he was hired as assistant city manager in 2017.
“Graham Wilson was a truly special man. He was an unparalleled public servant. He was an irreplaceable part of my team, and I consider him one of my very best friends,” City Manager J. Randall Wheeler said.
He brought a level of care and dedication to every person in the community and every issue he tackled, Wheeler said.
Poquoson closed its city offices Wednesday afternoon and lowered the city flag to half-staff.
“The people that worked with him very closely needed some time to just digest the news. It seemed like one of the things we could do immediately to honor him on the day that he passed away was to close our offices,” Mayor Gordon C. Helsel Jr. said.
The Virginia Department of
Health report Thursday showed 16 deaths in Poquoson from the coronavirus and 477 on the Peninsula.
He used to start most of his days by walking right into Wilson’s office to talk, not just about work, but also about life.
“He had an infectious smile and wit that just made everybody feel so comfortable. He was a great guy,” Ross Mugler said.
Wilson was known for his love for his family — his wife Beth and their two children, Kasey and Graham Jr.
Mugler recalled hearing stories about a trip Wilson took with his son to visit baseball stadiums across the county because of their love for the sport.
Wilson was active at Coastal Community Church. He served as president of the Poquoson Kiwanis Club.
“Everybody feels like they lost their best friend yesterday. We can’t say that about all the people we know in our lives, but I think we can say that about Graham,” Wheeler said.