Bob Wilson

John Robert “Bob” Wilson, age 87, of Fithian died August 26, 2025 at Accolade Healthcare of Paxton on Pells.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, August 30, at Freese Funeral Home, 302 E. Grand, St. Joseph. Pastor Todd Creason will officiate. Burial will take place in Stearns Cemetery, Muncie. There will be a visitation from 10 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home.

Bob was born on June 18, 1938, in Urbana, the youngest of two boys born to the late G. Woodrow and Thelma Phillips Wilson. A 1956 Oakwood Township High School graduate, Bob was a National Honor Society inductee, and lettered in both football and basketball. While at the University of Illinois, Bob was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity, and he received a B.S. in agriculture in 1960. Bob was also a veteran, serving in the Army Reserves from 1961 to 1967.

A fifth-generation farmer, Bob farmed his entire life in Vermilion and Champaign counties. Also a pilot, Bob especially enjoyed flying his yellow 1947 J-3 Piper Cub, checking crops from the air. People observing him from the ground may have witnessed his “wing-waggle” of greeting as he flew by. Bob was very well-read, and had eclectic interests ranging from astronomy to opera.

Bob was also a loyal member of the NRA, and was a collector of many items, including World War I and II-era memorabilia.

Bob was married to Sandra Brown for 30 years, and to Stella Fairchild Marvel for 20 years. He is survived by his only daughter, Julie Wilson of Appomattox, VA; son-in-law Roy Wilson of Appomattox, VA; stepsons Jay Marvel of Land O Lakes, FL and Kirk Marvel; grandchildren Thomas and Chloe Wilson of Appomattox, VA, and his brother, William A. Wilson of St. Joseph. The family wishes to show much gratitude to the caregivers from Nurse Next Door of Ogden, Brookdale Assisted Living of Urbana, Accolade Healthcare of Paxton on Pells, and Transitions Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or a charity of the donor’s choice.

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