Clarence H Wilson

Clarence H. Wilson: Sunrise September 4, 1919 and his peaceful sunset was December 2, 2018.

He was born in Chase City, Mecklenburg County, VA, growing up in rural Farmville, VA.  His teen years were spent in Penn Hills, PA, a suburb of Pittsburg where he joined the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) during the depression.  In 1935 he migrated to Newark, N.J. which became his new home state.  

Soon after WW II began, he enlisted and was told by the Army doctors “If not that we were at war, you’d be too skinny for me to approve for military duty.”  He served as a corporal in the 3404th Quarter Master Truck Company, US Army. Transcripts of his “war year memories” can be seen on the internet when he was interviewed by the Rutgers University Oral History Archives Project.  His stories include those during military duty in North Africa, Italy and of General George S. Patten.  Please visit the web site at: http://oralhistory.rutgers.edu/military-history/29-conflict-index/164-world-war-ii-european-theater-index. 

After his honorable discharge, the town of Montclair, N.J. became important to him when he met and later married Miss Doris A. Tucker in 1945 at Union Baptist Church in Montclair.  In 1950 they purchased their own home in Montclair where he subsequently joined Union Baptist Church.  He resided in Montclair until 2017.  Doris Wilson left this earth and her beloved husband of 65 years in August of 2011.  Clarence Wilson was employed as a Chemical Operator for NAPCO Chemical Company, formerly located in Harrison, NJ and served as a union shop steward.  He retired after 35 years of service.

He leaves behind his daughter Adrienne, son-in-law Ed Bolden, brother Clyde Brown, sister-in-law Betty Brown, beloved nieces Joan Tucker Moses, Betty Tucker Gowdy, family and friends

Jazz has been his lifelong passion with many fond memories of seeing the “best” bands of the 1940’s and 1950’s.  When asked about some of those memories; he would be gladly share them with you.  These stories are illuminating, precious and scarce and need to be remembered.

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