My name is Grant Wood, I just recently retired from Fedex Canada, after a very rewarding and successful career, which I can only thank Gil for. I first met him in December of 1988, when I was sent to ORD for my 727 Weight & Balance training.Back " in those days" this course took 2 weeks to complete,and i can coubt the times Gil would review our manual WB homework from the previous night, and in front of the entire class he would rip up my hard work, and yell out, " Wood, I'm going to ship you back to Canada, if you don;t get this #^&&**  correct tonight. So after 2 weeks of hard work, late nights, and even having to " stay after school " some days, I proudly completed Gil's WB class. I can remember saying to myself, " one day I'm going to be the Gil Wilson of Canada"...and because of his mentoring during those 2 weeks, and my absolute respect for this man, I had a wonderful career as an Instructor for Fedex Canada, and recently retired after close to 29 years of service.Gil and I stayed in touch over those years, and after he left Fedex,and a few years ago, much to my surprise I received an email from him, and we continued to check in on one another.....so just today, 11/26 i received a message from a U.S. instructor telling me of Gil's passing. I am shocked, I'm sad,but above all, I'm a better man for having been blessed with knowing Gil, and having the opportunity to have sat in his training class back in "88".To Donna, and your family, my deepest sympathies. Take comfort in knowing that Gil touched many lives over the years, and that his memory will live on, because of the man,the husband,the father, and the dear friend that Gil Wilson was to all that knew him.

Hi I am a second cousin of Gil's my Name is Rachel Duebner Bodzioch. My Father Harry Duebner was a younger brother of Gil's Grandmother Helen Duebner Wilson, or as he and his siblings called her, Rayma!
There is not much I remember about Gil as we were growing up. When he was a brand new baby I know I couldn't touch his head because of his soft spot, I do remember that. Now that I look at his baby pictures I see a head full of curly hair so I doubt very much I would've found his soft spot.
Gil's soft spot was his heart, his big as all outdoors heart. He was very sensitive as a child and shy. Yes I would call him shy, at least at family gatherngs. And we had a lot of family gatherings. Back when Gil and I were growing up, families visited each other on Sundays. Stores were not open on Sundays back then. The most you could get is the Sunday paper and a quart of milk at the drug store. I can't even remember gas stations being open but Walgreens was. So you went to church and then kept your nice clothes on and went to visit relatives. During holidays such as Thanksgiving which is coming up tomorrow or Christmas, Gil's mom Anne Partipilo Wilson would cook and bake for days. She wrapped many presents both big and small for everybody! She decorated her home like it was going to be in a magazine. So let's cut to the chase and say she went all out and tried to make it the happiest most magical experience you can imagine. 
Gil's older brother John and their little sister Merry were very animated and boysterious!  They had sister who died when she was 5 yrs 8 months old of leukemia and she was a lot like Gil. More reserved, a deep thinker. I remember actually that Helen, or as we all called her "Little Helen" and I  would sneak away to her room which was adorable all decked out like a log cabin or we'd go to the basement to play with her child size kitchen set and doll furniture. We'd play house and I bet sometimes we'd pull the boys into it to be Daddy (Johnny) or our little boy (Gilbert).
In all of our days together as cousins I don't remember much of Gilbert as I said he was a quiet child and a little shy. Probably a great way to stay out of trouble as a middle child, nobody's going to notice you if you're under the radar, smart boy!!
As we grew into teens our lives split. He was busy with his life and I mine. We didn't visit much anymore life got complicated with, well, life. Johnny moved to California as soon as he graduated from high school. Unfortuately, Gil's parents got a divorce so as far as visiting we'd see Anne on separate occasions and Ken mostly as he was my Dad's nephew. I hung with Merry as we became of drinking age so we'd go to bars to dance and of course drink. She moved not far away but far enough away that I wasn't interested in driving all the way out there anymore. Gil was busy working at the airport and meeting girls!! LOL!
Whenever I would run into Gil which wasn't a lot he'd be happy and loving and happy to see me. If he was in Chicago he'd make sure to stop by my mom's apartment in Jefferson Park to say hi to her or he'd stop by the store she worked at, Knobe's Stationery Store, which perked her up and made her really happy because by now she had lost my dad.
Gil and Donna made sure they sent us lots of pictures of Reed which made my mom and I happy to see the little guy growing up. Now I wish to heck we had made arrangements to run over or have them come over so we could've met Donna and Reed in person. So stupid that we let other things get in the way.
Gil and I have kept in contact through email for years of which I probably have most every email he sent me over time. He liked to send jokes even when he was battling cancer. He'd also sent warnings about safety issues. Worried about my family's safety. He sent me a book in the mail about God once which I will cherish the rest of my life now. I didn't realize he was a Free Evangelical for many years, the same religion my older daughter has chosen. Yet, he was never pushy about his faith but we had conversations about God and the hereafter just like I did with "Little Helen".
So that is my story about Gil. Long and not really full of information or funny stories. In conclusion, I'd like to say he was one of the best cousins/friends I've ever had even though we didn't see each other often.