John Ralph 'Jack' Wilson, 79
John Ralph “Jack” Wilson, 79, “went to be with the Lord” on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016, at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls.
Jack was born October 9, 1936, in Geyser, Montana, to John and Mary (Madden) Wilson. He attended school in Geyser, where he loved playing basketball. After graduation from high school in 1955, Jack started working for the Great Northern Railroad in Great Falls. Jack was a carman on Burlington North and retired in 1998 from BNSF.
Jack joined the Navy in 1956 and was proud of being elected Honor Man by the men in his unit. The last 14 months of his enlistment he served on the Admiral’s staff in Japan. After his discharge in 1960, Jack went back to work on the railroad. Two months later Jack met his future bride Ginger Fitzhugh, who was vacationing in Montana.
Jack and Ginger were married July 22, 1961, in Portland, Oregon. They made their home in Great Falls, Whitefish, Washington state and Kalispell. At the time of his death, Jack and Ginger were married 54 years.
Jack belonged to Northridge Heights Church of God and Cornerstone Community Church.
Jack loved his family, daughter Teresa J. Nelson and son John V. Wilson. Jack would always work on the family cars, so John and Teresa learned from him.
Jack was preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary Wilson, brothers Bruce Wilson and Norman Dean Wilson, nephew Wayne Faulk, grandparents, aunts and uncles.
Jack is survived by his wife, Ginger; daughter Teresa and son-in-law, Andy Nelson, and their children Dalton and Gillian; and son John V. Wilson, daughter-in-law Melissa, and their daughters Haley and Riley. He is also survived by his brothers, Richard and Jeanne Wilson, and James Wilson; sisters, Barbara Bessler, Terry Jo Messina, Carol Faulk, and Rita and Jerry Stulc; and several nieces and nephews.
The family wishes to acknowledge and thank all those phenomenal people at the veterans home that took such good, loving care of Jack and included Ginger in their care. Words cannot express the family’s thanks.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Montana Veterans Home, 400 Veterans Way, Columbia Falls, MT 59912.
Services for Jack will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 11, at the Cornerstone Community Church, 1970 Highway 93 North, Kalispell. A viewing will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. prior to the service at church.
Johnson-Gloschat Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for the Wilson family.