Chester Wilson Jr.

Chester Wilson Jr., age 87, of Danville, passed away at 9:55 am on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at his home. He was born March 30, 1921 in Rantoul, IL the son of Chester A. and Faye (Pilkington) Wilson. Chester married Dorothy Gardner on May 23, 1947 in Danville. They later divorced. He is survived by one son: Bill Wilson of Urbana; two grandchildren: Rachel (Toby) Wolfe of Danville, Jackson Stockdale-Wilson of Chicago; one great grandson: Bailey Wolfe of Danville; and nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister: Bonnie Hubbard. Chester served in the United States Coast Guard from 1942 to 1945. He worked as a repairman for Illinois Bell Telephone Company for thirty-six years until his retirement on May 2, 1982. Chester was a member of the Danville Elks, American Legion, Moose Lodge # 1001, and the Telephone Pioneers. He was an avid bowler who won many awards and was inducted into the Danville Bowlers Hall of Fame. He also enjoyed playing golf, fishing and was a diehard Cubs fan. Chester was awarded the Vail Award for rescuing two people that he was fishing with from drowning and helping them reach shore safely on June 2, 1963. He was a very generous person giving donations to numerous charities. A memorial service for Chester Wilson will be held at 2 pm on Saturday, February 28, 2009 at the Sunset Memorial Park Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the organization of the donors choice. Email condolences can be sent to Chesters family at: www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.