Alan Todd Wilson

MADISON - Alan Todd Wilson, age 87, died peacefully on March 6, 2011, at Oakwood Village West, in Madison WI. He was born on March 11, 1923, in Milwaukee, WI, to Jasper A. and Muriel Elizabeth (Todd) Wilson. Alan eloped to Iron Mountain, MI, with Anabel “Ann” Louise Snyder on July 16, 1942. They settled in Milwaukee where Alan held a diversity of jobs (including milkman, rooming house proprietor, mechanic and assistant manager at a gas station, and gambling machine “odds reducer”—a position that reinforced his life-long abhorrence of gambling) until graduating from the Wisconsin State Teacher's College (now UW-Milwaukee) with a teaching degree. As they raised their four children, Alan taught elementary school while earning a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration, along with Phi Delta Kappa honors. He worked as a school principal in Milwaukee and St. Francis, WI, and assistant/acting superintendent of schools in St. Francis, but—after retirement—eventually moved to Madison to be closer to his WI children and grandchildren. A jack-of-all trades and master of many, Alan was a skilled negotiator of labor contracts, talented photographer, computer, electronics, and high technology maven, and connoisseur of widely diverse music (from soft jazz to classical to Broadway musicals to Johnny Cash to Sting…). An avid reader and life-long learner, he studied the “Great Courses” DVDs during the last years of his life. Devoted supportive husband, proudly amazed father and grandfather, and delighted great-grandfather, Alan was guided by his progressive political perspective, fierce independence, and strongly held beliefs in social and economic justice. In his 20s, he ran for the WI Assembly as a Socialist; later he became a staunch and loyal Democrat. He followed local, state, and national politics until he realized that his intense feelings were affecting his heart—similarly he eventually refrained from watching the Packers play… although he did see Superbowl 2011 on UW-Hospital TV screens on the eve of his hospitalization after the final fall. Thankfully he missed the State Senate Republicans’ actions just two days before what would have been his 88th birthday. An articulate persuasive speaker and elegant writer, he held positions of leadership in the First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee, the Democratic Party of Milwaukee County, his condo association in Greenfield, and at Oakwood Village West in Madison. Often seemingly reserved, his wry smile, dry humor, twinkling eyes, and well-mannered demeanor lasted until the end. He is survived by his son, David Lee Wilson (Ann Jarvella Wilson) and daughters, Gail Shively Biek (Richard W. Biek) and Allyn “Lynn” Konop (Roy Konop) of Madison and Jessica DeLonay Mayer (Joseph Mayer) of Wayne, NJ; his grandchildren, Heather Shively Goldman (Ethan Goldman) of NYC, Bryant T. Shively Biek (Kendal Gravitt), Sonja Wilson Tatro (Timothy Tatro), Mason DeLonay (Jenny DeLonay), and Kyle Konop, all of the greater Madison area, Lydia Wilson Marshall (Adam Marshall) of Ruckersville, VA, Braden DeLonay of Manor, TX, and Todd Konop of Madison; his step-grandchildren, Christilyn Biek Larson (Steven Larson) of Madison and Boulder, CO, David A. Biek (Christine Cowles) of Boulder, CO, and Eric Mayer of Hillsdale, NJ; his great-grandchildren, Zea, Nevyn, Tarah, and Ryan, and step-great-grandchildren, Kuryn (Donne), Lucien, Elgin, Sydney, and Nathaniel. He is further survived by his nieces and nephews, Toni Moderski Snyder (Wayne Snyder) of Pewaukee, Lee Perko of Madison, Mary Kathleen “Kathy” Perko (Trevor Porter) of Redding, WA, Christopher Johnson of PA, Melissa Johnson of CA, Kevin Johnson of HI, and other loving relatives and friends. Alan was preceded in death by his beloved wife Anabel, his parents, his half-sister Eunice (Steger) Johnson; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Patrick and Martha (Hero) Snyder, Albert and Margaret (Snyder) Perko, Sister Mary Catherine S.M.P. (formerly Jean Snyder), and his niece, Kathleen Snyder. A family memorial celebration was held; interment will be in Milwaukee at the Lincoln Memorial (formerly Wanderers’ Rest) Cemetery. The family suggests memorials be made to the Democratic Party of Wisconsin (110 King Street, Suite 203 • Madison, WI 53703), Habitat for Humanity of Dane County (P.O. Box 258128, Madison WI 53725), or Hospice Care (5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Madison, WI 53711) and extends its gratitude to the Oakwood Village West staff and David Sorber, M.D., and Terri Patwell, Geriatric N.P. of the Dean Care system for Alan’s gentle and knowledgeable care and to each other and our friends for ongoing affectionate support. “Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi