Desmond Porter "Dep" Wilson, Jr.

Desmond Porter Wilson, Jr.

Desmond Porter Wilson, Jr. (“Dep”) died on January 8, 2024 at home in Spokane, Washington; his wife of 67 years (Elizabeth Hendricks Wilson “Maryliz”) and his children were by his side. Dep was born to Georgia May Beck Wilson (1907-1992) and Desmond Porter Wilson, Sr. (1905-1957) on December 14, 1930 in Hutchinson, Kansas where he spent most of his childhood. His grandfather, “Pop Beck,” was his childhood mentor and a local politician who ran an amusement park and zoo for many years. He taught Dep to hunt squirrels and rabbits for dinner while encouraging him to protect rare animal species. Dep and Pop Beck brought a pair of almost extinct whooping cranes to the Kansas zoo for breeding. Dep graduated from Nagoya High School in Japan during the U.S. occupation. During Dep’s years in Japan, he developed lifelong friendships. He learned to read and speak Japanese and used his fluent language abilities to interpret as an employee of the U.S. government; Dep interviewed Japanese farmers and fishermen to determine whether they were receiving adequate food and supplies from U.S. cooperatives. He earned his bachelor’s degree in systems economics from University of the South in Sewanee, TN. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the army as a paratrooper and attended Officer Candidate School in Fort Sill, OK. In 1966, he earned his PhD in political science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As a first-generation college student, he valued higher education and taught courses at Emory University (Atlanta, GA), and Salve Regina University and the Naval War College (Newport, RI).

Dep’s natural curiosity, interest in qualitative research and exceptional writing skills led him to his 35-year career as a research analyst. He was employed by the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA); CNA is an independent nonprofit that informs decisions of the Navy and Marine Corps. His independent thinking skills suited his career and his lifelong interest in world travel; he visited multiple countries by bike, plane, car, and ship, always trying to understand and recognize multiple perspectives. Dep was an avid enthusiast of biking, politics, dancing, card games, skiing, and all water activities, especially on the beaches of the southeast United States. He was a swimmer, Chesapeake Bay boater, and crabber/fisherman. While cruising Cocoa Beach, Florida, he met Maryliz who was on spring break from Florida State University in Tallahassee. They married on December 22, 1956 in Macon, Georgia, the closest city to Maryliz’s hometown of Tarversville, Georgia. Together, they traveled to Calcutta, India when Dep was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study the economic impact of the steel industry. With children, they spent one year in the White Cottage in Denham, England where Dep worked at the London School of Economics. Maryliz and Dep shared a love of family and friends, traveling to visit family in Georgia every summer, as well as developing lasting friendships wherever they lived. His family and friends characterize Dep as inquisitive, kind, generous, adventurous, and as having a great sense of humor. After Dep’s death, while dining at his favorite Spokane restaurant (Anthony’s), a waiter asked Maryliz, “Where’s the big guy?” The “big guy” phrase encapsulates Dep in every way; he was big in stature, big in heart, big in intellect and big in love.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Elizabeth Hendricks Wilson (“Maryliz;” b. 1-13-1936), three children, Elizabeth Beck Wilson Fowler (Dale), Jeanie Barry Wilson Waner (Timothy), and Desmond Porter Wilson, III (Meredith), six grandchildren, Emily Elizabeth Waner (Kevin Hug), Abigail Waner Bartolotta (James), Luke Duross Irving (Natalie), Alexander Scott Waner, Connor Desmond Wilson, and Elise Olivia Wilson, and six great grandchildren, Ella, Nathan, Annie, Stella, Lydia and Porter. He also is survived by his sister- and brother-in-law, Jeanie and Robert Schultz and nieces/nephew, as well as dear friends, Eve and Earl (Rick) Rickerson along with their son, Wilson (Dep’s godson). His family and friends will scatter his ashes and honor his life in the three places that he most loved - Tarversville, Georgia (April 20, 2024), Hutchinson, Kansas, and Solomon’s Island, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay.

Donations can be made to the Desmond Porter Wilson, Jr. Memorial Scholarship fund which supports students attending Eastern Washington University in Spokane, WA. If mailed: EWU Foundation, 102 Hargreaves Hall, Cheney, WA 99004 NOTE: To Desmond Porter Wilson Memorial Scholarship. If online: ewu.edu/Wilson

Visit www.reecefuneralhomeinc.com to express tributes.

Reece Funeral Home in Jeffersonville, GA has charge of arrangements.