Katie Bess Francis Wilson

Katie Bess Francis Wilson, 91, of Twin Lakes Retirement Community, Burlington, NC, died Saturday, December 26, 2020, at Alamance Regional Hospital following emergency surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurism.
Born on July 14, 1929, on the family farm in Newell, NC, Katie lived through the Great Depression. She saw her family lose their farm, forcing her father to become an itinerant construction supervisor leaving the family for long periods to earn a living. She grew up on their farm and later in Charlotte. Afterward, she found a perfect lifelong partner to build a new life with, raise a wonderful family, and live out her years.
Katie came from a large family of eleven children; she was a middle child who learned to care for her younger siblings just as her older sisters had cared for her. Her enduring passion was being a mother to her three children and supporting the love of her life, Red Wilson, in all of his athletic coaching endeavors. In addition to her children, she also acquired many “football sons” whom she looked after throughout Red’s coaching career.
Katie met S.S. “Red” Wilson, a Davidson College football player, in 1947. They married the next year on January 17, 1948, and became inseparable for life. While Red was busy coaching young men, Katie was gracefully raising the children and maintaining a warm home during each of their eleven moves. The final move, which she executed almost singlehandedly, was back to Burlington. The First Presbyterian Church and lifelong Burlington friends seemed to call Katie and Red back home.
Katie loved to decorate their many homes and always created a beautiful and inviting place wherever they lived. She was an excellent seamstress who loved her Singer sewing machine, as well as an excellent cook. Throughout her years cooking for her family and friends, she developed an impressive handwritten file of recipes, both created and collected. Katie taught all of her children to cook at an early age. She later exclaimed, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that had her boys not picked up the craft, they might have starved.
Katie was a devoted Christian who always made time for her church and community. She was an active circle attendee at every church she ever attended, which allowed her to give back to her community. While living in Pinehurst, Katie spent countless hours at Community Presbyterian Church aiding homeless families. Once Red could no longer attend church services, Katie faithfully followed scripture classes on television, never missing a lesson.
Katie enjoyed her work as a librarian-assistant at Elon University and as an information specialist at Duke Medical Center. But most of all, she was the indomitable spirit behind her successful husband and three children. She instilled in her children the value of education and saw that they all earned their college degrees. Katie was proud to see her children raise beautiful families just as she had done. She boasted about all six of her grandchildren and her great-granddaughter, all of whom she loved dearly.
Surviving is her husband of nearly 73 years, Coach Red Wilson of the Home; children, John Wilson (Deborah), Vass, NC, Cathy Wilson Koontz (Craig), Lexington, NC, Steve Wilson (Laura), Richmond, VA; grandchildren, Whitney Wilson-Botts, Erin Wilson, Catherine Koontz Rogers MD, Wilson Koontz, Taylor Wilson, and Carolyn Wilson; great-granddaughter, Ainsley Botts; and seventeen nieces and nephews.
A private graveside ceremony will be held at Magnolia Cemetery in Elon, NC, on January 2, 2021. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date after Covid 19 restrictions are lifted.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund, 508 W. Davis Street, Burlington, NC 27215, or to a charity of your choice.

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