John W. Wilson
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John W. Wilson, 71, died Monday, January 4th at his home in Hanover. John was born on May 10, 1949, in Hanover, the son of Dr. William Wilson and Beverly (Chamberlin) Wilson.
He grew up in Hanover and graduated from Hanover High School in 1967. He enlisted in the Navy and became a Naval Corpsman during which time he served in Chelsea, MA and later in Philadelphia, PA. It was during this time on a trip home that he met and began dating Janet Alden and they eventually married on August 9, 1975. Following his discharge in 1972, he returned to the Upper Valley and held a position as Medic at the Vermont State Prison in Windsor, VT, where he became friends with many of the inmates. He then left to work at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital as a surgical technician, and one not to be confined to the indoors, left the job and did landscaping and also took a job selling hot dogs on Main Street in Hanover, again making many friends. His cart was set up in a garage on School Street (which later became John and Janet's home) next door to the Rand Funeral Home. He became reacquainted with Bob Rand, owner of the Rand Funeral Home. They became very close friends and Bob encouraged John to help out at the funeral home which he loved doing and what became his passion. John went on to graduate from the New England Institute of Funeral Service in Boston, MA, in 1984, and purchased the Rand Funeral Home in 1986, renaming it the Rand-Wilson Funeral Home. He continued to serve the families of Hanover and its surrounding communities with care and compassion ever since.
John enjoyed hunting and fishing, spending time at his camp on Post Pond in Lyme, NH, family vacations to Major League baseball parks across the country and annual trips to Venice, Florida. In his younger years, he enjoyed playing softball where he was the co-founder of the Men's Hanover Softball League, riding his motorcycle and snowmobile, and camping at Storr's Pond. He will be remembered by all his intense love and devotion to his wife, children, grandchildren and extended family and for being a diehard fan of the Boston Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, and Celtics.
John was a member of the N.H. Funeral Directors Association, the Hanover Lions Club, the MHMH Assembly of Overseers, the Lyman Pell American Legion Post #8 in Norwich, VT, and the Guyer-Carignan Post 22 American Legion in Lebanon, NH.
John was predeceased by his parents, his father-in-law, Bradford Alden, and his sister-in-law, Dianne Alden. He is survived by his wife, Janet of Hanover; a daughter Heather Prebish and her husband Mark and their daughters Ella and Lily of Windsor, VT; two sons, Brett Wilson of Hanover and Trevor Wilson and his wife Christina and their son Aiden of North Port, FL; sisters Donna McCague and her husband Sandy of Manchester, NH; Toni Walker and husband Greg of Lebanon, NH; Lisa Wilson and her partner Maria Cook of Salem, MA; Kimberly Wilson of Gardner, MA, Jennifer Wilson of Newburyport, MA, and brother William Wilson of Gardner MA; his mother-in-law Sylvia Alden of Concord, NH; his sister-in-law Judy LaRochelle and husband Dave of Londonderry, NH; brother-in-law Peter Alden of West Boylston, MA, and many nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Donations in his memory may be made to the Special Olympics of New Hampshire, Upper Valley Hawks Team, PO Box 496 Hanover, NH 03755. It has been asked that in order to keep donations local you donate by check only and please write In Memory of John Wilson in the memo line.
The Rand-Wilson Funeral Home in Hanover is in charge of arrangements.