Sidney Jerrold Wilson

Coach Sidney Jerrold (Jerry) Wilson passed away peacefully on April 25, 2017, after a brief battle with cancer. Coach Wilson, affectionately known as Wolf or Wolfie, was born February 25, 1948, to Sidney Lutrel Wilson and wife Mary Ida Kidd Wilson at Fort Baker Army Hospital in Sausalito, CA. He graduated from Big Spring High School in Texas in 1966. Coach earned a Bachelor's degree from then Abilene Christian College in 1971 and later a Master's degree in Education from Abilene Christian University. During his college years, he was a varsity football player and letterman. It was also during these years that he met and married Diane Stevens on June 14, 1969. After college, Coach Wilson was blessed to be able to live his dream of coaching football and baseball for a total of 43 years. He spent 28 years at Abilene Christian University, 5 years at San Angelo Central High School, 4 years at Abilene High School, 5 years at Amarillo Caprock High School, and 1 year at Graham High School. He loved coaching so much that he often stated he "had never worked a day in his life". He served as the defensive coordinator for most of his years at ACU, and was inducted into the ACU Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. He often spoke of all the outstanding young men he had coached and how they had enriched his life. Coach Wilson was equally proud and honored to be able to participate in numerous mission trips to the Rio Grande Valley and to Mexico to build church buildings with groups from Johnson Street Church of Christ in San Angelo and Hillcrest Church of Christ in Abilene and act as the group's Spanish interpreter. Coach was a member of Hillcrest Church of Christ in Abilene for many years where he served as a youth deacon and care group leader. He also was a member of Johnson Street Church of Christ in San Angelo, Texas, and The Colonies Church of Christ in Amarillo, Texas, when he coached in those cities. Coach Wilson is survived by his wife of 48 years, Diane; sons Greg (Elizabeth) of Abilene, TX and Jimmy (Jennifer) of Harlingen, TX; and grandchildren August, Nathan, Wilder, Zoe, and Eli Wilson; brothers Tom (Diane) of Bedford, Virginia, and Bruce (Alexa) of Manassas, Virginia, and brother-in-law Norman Nunn. Preceding him in death were his parents Sidney and Mary Wilson and sister, Gloria Nunn. Visitation will be from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 1, 2017, at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road, Abilene, TX. Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, 2017, at the Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E. Ambler Avenue, Abilene, TX with graveside services following at Elmwood Memorial Park, 5750 Highway 277 South, Abilene, TX. Memorial contributions may be made to United Way of Abilene, P.O. Box 82, Abilene, TX 79604 or Sunny Glen Children's Home, P. O. Box 1373, San Benito, TX 78586 or the Jerry Wilson Football Endowment, ACU Box 29132, Abilene, TX 79699.