Leslie Dean “Les” Wilson, 90, of South Jacksonville, Illinois died Friday, November 2, 2018, at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Illinois. He was born April 11, 1928, in Kansas City, MO, the son of John Leslie and Blanche Ruth Pyle Wilson. He married Lois Yingst on September 17, 1950, in Butler, MO. and she preceded him in death on August 17, 2015.
Les was a Korean War Veteran of the United States Army, serving in the 40th Infantry Division. He served in both Korea and Japan from Nov. 1950 to Nov. 1952. He loved to tell his war stories to family and friends. After his discharge he worked as a machinist for Robertshaw in Anaheim, CA. In 1961, the family moved to Orange, CA. so that he could take over the family business, Colonial Paint & Wallpaper. He was a former member of Sertoma and the Rainbow Squares Dance Club. After retirement, the Wilsons moved to Silver City, NM. While there, Les was a member of the American Legion, and he and Lois both belonged to the White Signal 49ers Square Dance Club and the Grant County Republican Party. Throughout his life Les enjoyed woodworking, carpentry, coin collecting, and was also an avid gun enthusiast and member of the NRA. In his retirement years, Les passed the time doing jigsaw puzzles, reading history and true crime novels, and he was always up for a road trip- anywhere!
He is survived by his son, Steve (Mary) Wilson of Fountain Valley, CA; his daughter, DeeAnn (Tom) Roome of South Jacksonville, IL; six grandchildren, Alicia (John) O’Malley of Orange, CA. Daniel Wilson (Rachel Miller) of Irvine, CA. Stacie (James) Hand of Herndon, VA, Christine (Colby) Huff of South Jacksonville, IL, Chris (Amanda) Roome of Little Elm, TX, and John (laura) Roome of Jacksonville, IL; and eight greatgrandchildren, Christopher Roome, Abby Wilson, Evan O’Malley, Alexis Hand, Carter Wilson, Johnathan Huff, Claire Hand, Theodore Huff and Kade Roome. He was preceded in death by his mother and stepfather who raised him, Blanche and Chet Noblett; his father; and two brothers, Beverly (Bev) Eugene Wilson and Robert (Dwayne) Wilson.
