EDWARD CLIFTON “CLIFF” WILSON, JR.
1921-2016
Edward Clifton “Cliff ” Wilson, Jr., was born on the 19th of October 1921 and passed away on Monday, the 8th of August 2016, at the age of 94. Cliff is survived by his children, son, Eugene C. Wilson and wife Debbi; daughter, Meador Wilson Wigington and her husband, Norman M. Wigington. He adored his grandchildren, Gene Wilson and Mimi Wilson Larson, and Norman Clifton, Colin Wilson and Charles “Chad” Harrison Wigington, and enjoyed seven great grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister, Carolyn Wilson Payne, and her two children, Mimi and Charlie Prioleau, and their two children, Carolyn and Wilson, and Julie and Leon Payne, Jr., and their children, Mary Katherine and William Leon. Preceding him in death are his parents, Miriam Findley Moore and Edward Clifton Wilson, Sr., and Cliff ’s wife Mildred Meek Meador Wilson, his cousins James Harrison and Preston Moore and his uncle, Wallace Wilson, Sr.
Cliff was a fifth generation Houstonian. His early schooling was in Houston public schools, graduating in 1939 from Lamar High School. At Lamar, he was the basketball team captain and led the team to its first city championship. Following high school, Cliff attended Lawrenceville School and Princeton University.
He left Princeton following the attack on Pearl Harbor and enrolled at the University of Texas where he enlisted in the Air Corps and joined the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. At the University, he rejoined his high school sweetheart, Mildred. Called to duty in January 1943, Cliff was sent to Nashville, Tennessee, to join the Peabody College Training Detachment. Mildred joined him in Nashville where they were married; she followed Cliff throughout his cadet training. He graduated a Second Lt. and Army Air Force Pilot in June 1944. Cliff was sent to the European Theatre where he flew B26 bombers for the 9th Air Force (446th Squadron, 322nd Bomb Group). Flying twenty missions before the war ended, he received the Air Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters.
Returning to Houston after the war, Cliff joined his father’s company, Wilson Stationary and Printing Company, in 1946, retiring in 1984 as Chairman of the Board. Cliff spent his working life at Wilson’s. He was active in the National Stationary And Office Products Association, for which he served as Governor one year. Cliff was also a Board Member of Wilson Industries Inc.
A life long member of First Presbyterian Church, Cliff also was a member of the Kiwanis Club, the Houston Country Club, Allegro, and several other dance clubs. An ardent golfer, he often said that if he were to list all of his many blessings the Houston Country Club, where he served for one year as President, would be very high on the list. Cliff had very fond memories of golfing with his grandfather, T.W. Wilson, while he was in high school and became a member himself shortly after being released from the Air Force. Besides golf, his other interests included hunting for ducks, dove and quail and fresh water fishing. From earliest childhood he developed a great joy in reading, which continued throughout his life, often reading two or three books at a time. One of his greatest pleasures in life was taking cruises with Mildred, his wife of 62 years, and they particularly enjoyed the onboard dancing cruising provided.
During his last years Cliff renewed his friendship with high school friend, Evelyn Smith Murphy. This brought great pleasure to his life and their nightly dinners at Houston’s finest restaurants were very happy times.
Special thanks to Evelio (Al) Cordero, his House Manager, a great help in his later years. The family would also like to thank the nurses who served Cliff so diligently – especially Julia, Tony, Shirley, Doreen and Rose.
Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from six o’clock until eight o’clock this evening, Wednesday, the 10th of August, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.
The memorial service is to be conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Thursday, the 11th of August, in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church, 5300 Main Street. Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be announced at the service.
In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to River Oaks Garden Club, 2503 Westheimer Rd., Houston, TX 77098; or First Presbyterian Church Houston, 5300 Main St., Houston, TX 77004.