BRAXTON A. WILSON JR.
May 22, 1949-Dec. 9, 2013
WILMINGTON -- Braxton A. Wilson Jr. took flight onto his next great adventure Monday, Dec. 9, at Lower Cape Fear Hospice Care Center in Wilmington.
His family and friends gathered around him for a year to support him in his extremely brave battle against cancer.
He was born May 22, 1949, to the late Braxton A. Wilson Sr. and Faith Price Wilson of Mount Olive.
Known in his early years as "B.A.," he attended Mount Olive and Southern Wayne high schools. His love of, and participation in, all sports during these years followed him throughout his life.
Braxton attended East Carolina University, later transferring to North Carolina State University.
During his college years, he took a year out to travel. Working his way from country to country, he lived and worked in Oslo, Norway, cross country skiing to and from work for several months.
He lived and worked in London, delivering fabric by bike across the city. While there, he joined a local rugby team, and played at Parliament Hill.
Diving for conches and starfish from a tourist boat in the Bahamas was his favorite job.
Then he traveled to Spain and France, and finally blueberry picking in Nova Scotia.
Combining his love of words and travel, Braxton wrote travel logs for his hometown paper.
He came back to Raleigh to finish his degree in English and journalism, and became a member of the North Carolina State University Rugby Club.
Braxton's major career was with FEDEX in Raleigh. As an international freight sales corporate account executive for 20-plus years, he traveled to six continents.
He was past president of the North Carolina World Trade Association of Raleigh.
Braxton was a devoted Rotarian early on, later becoming Rotarian of the Year in the Raleigh Rotary Club. Being environmentally focused, he took on "Trees Across Raleigh," organizing annual Rotary-sponsored tree plantings throughout the city.
Always intent on challenging himself, Braxton was an avid hiker, tennis player, golfer, swimmer, skier, biker and sailor.
He loved the Raleigh YMCA.
He and his son ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C., in 2004.
He led his family on many challenging and wonderful U.S. and international trips. They often found themselves "off the map" and wondering what they'd find around the next bend.
Finally, upon retirement and a move to Wilmington, he became a Paul Harris Fellow in the Rotary Club of Wilmington.
Braxton is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 20 years, Alice Byrd Creech Wilson; his son, Braxton Pryce Wilson and wife, Mary Frances, of Raleigh; his brothers, Mike Wilson and wife, Melody, of Goldsboro and Worth Wilson and wife, Debbie, of Greensboro.
Many thanks go to the Lower Cape Fear Hospice of Wilmington for its compassionate care and the many good friends, neighbors and devoted family members who stood by him and his family throughout Braxton's illness.
There will be a celebration of Braxton's life at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh Saturday, Jan. 18, at 3 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial may be sent to the Rotary Club of Raleigh at P.O. Box 20807, Raleigh, N.C., 27619. The Rotary Club works to end polio and fight hunger, while working for peace throughout the world.
(Pd)
Published in Obituaries on January 5, 2014 11:27 AM