CARL WILSON Oct. 28, 1954 – Aug. 10, 2022
Carl Wilson passed away peacefully and unexpectedly at his home in Gering, Nebraska on August 10, 2022.
Carl was born on October 28, 1954 in Los Alamos New Mexico, the youngest of 3 boys, to Donald and Rowena Wilson.
Carl was an active member of boy scouts his entire childhood earning his God and Country Award in High School. He enjoyed riding his bike, playing sports in the yard with neighborhood kids, and tinkering with anything he could get his hands on. Destructing, fixing, and building was his lifelong hobby.
Carl had a love for music, playing the drums in the Los Alamos High School jazz and marching bands. Auto mechanics was his favorite class and he was very fond of his Oldsmobile F85. Carl’s father was a gunsmith and machinist, which helped influence Carl’s interest in learning how things work and teaching him the skills to become a jack of all trades, but master of none.
Carl met the love of his life, Valerie Igwerson his junior year of high school. After graduating Los Alamos High School in 1973, he attended New Mexico State University, but shortly returned to Los Alamos. Carl and Valerie were married in Los Alamos on November 2, 1974 and Carl began his lifelong career as a laser technologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1975.
They welcomed their first daughter, Tennille Rene on May 13, 1977 and second daughter, Stefanie Tegan on September 1st 1982. Carl loved being a father, he devoted his entire life to his family, always putting his families needs first. Carl was an adventure seeker and never overlooked an opportunity to take Tennille on a motorcycle ride or Stefanie on a snowy mountain drive. He enjoyed coaching the girls softball teams, assisting with science projects, being a girl scout dad and loved sharing his passions of mechanics, tinkering, camping, fishing, shooting, and so much more with his girls.
After both girls moved out, Carl and Valerie enjoyed traveling with friends and visitng family in Nebraska. Carl instilled a great zest for life in his family and was excited to share his knowledge and passions with his granchildren, too.
Carl retired from Los Alamos National Laboratory in 2018, after which he and Valerie relocated to Scottbluff, Nebraska to be closer to family and their grandchildren. Carl is preceded in death by his parents Donald and Rowena Wilson, older brother Jimmy Wilson, and in laws Darrell and Bonny Ingwerson.
Carl is survived by his wife of 47 years, Valerie of Gering, Nebraska, daughter Tennille (Todd) Womack of Alcalde, NM, daughter Stefanie (Bryan) and their children Kaycee and Kolby, whom he adored, of Laramie, WY. As well as his brothers and sisters in law in Nebraska and many very dear friends in Los Alamos, NM.
Services will be held on Monday, August 15 at 2pm, at Gering Memorial Chapel, 1755 11th St. Gering, NE 69341. A celebration of life will be held at a later date in October in Los Alamos, NM.
