David J. Wilson's Obituary
David James Wilson, Sr. passed away at the age of 80 on Sunday, May 24, 2026 in Clinton, Iowa.
David was born on April 23, 1946 in Clinton to James C. and Joan C. Wilson (Stratton). He was united in marriage to Betty Wilson (Rohr) on February 21, 1976.
Throughout his life he was involved in the trades. For some time he was a local contractor and could be seen around town working on roofs, pouring concrete, and caring for any other remodels his customers needed. He was known for teaching kids the value of hard work and conscientiousness by bringing them along on jobs. At the very least they went home tired after breaking up concrete, picking up nails with rolling magnets, and carrying shingles.
As a member of Local 25, he was very proud of his work as a pipe-fitter. Throughout his life he loved pointing out projects he worked on including, Chemplex, the Port Byron Nuclear Power Plant, and on a personal note, the infamous barn on 11th Ave S.
As a lifelong member of the Clinton Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses, David had a strong hope in the resurrection to come. (John 5:28, 29) His skillset extended into volunteering with the Witnesses, such as helping construct the Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Janesville, WI.
He is survived by his wife, Betty Wilson, and children, James (Amy) Wilson, Raymond (Karin) Wilson, David (Jessica) Wilson, Jr., Katie (Chris) Snedeker, Glenn (Heather) Cousins, Jolene Wilson, Rock (Joni) Caldwell, Kathy Plein, Shelle (Andy) Sikkema, and a plethora of grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great, great grandchildren. He is also survived by his two sisters, Cathy (Steve) Parsons and Claudia Bilionis. He is preceded in death by his parents, Jim & Joan Wilson, his infant sister, Vicky, and his brother, Joel Wilson.
His memorial service will be held on Wednesday, May 27 at 7:30 PM with the visitation between 6:30 and 7:30 PM. The visitation and service will both be at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses at 1100 11th Ave N, Clinton, Iowa. Zoom information for those unable to attend in person is:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87561334135?pwd=6V0D2ELejSDWkSqwX1ZnpBMxkyPOoi.1
Meeting ID: 875 6133 4135
Passcode: DaveWilson
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses or on https://jw.org.
David’s mischievous sense of humor and jovial demeanor will be missed by all those that cared for him.
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