Jim Willson has died March 2 after a battle with cancer. Here are the details of the obituary, sent in by his wife Linda Matthews Willson.
Jim was born in St. Petersburg, graduated with honors from Northeast High School, and earned a B.S. degree in business from Florida State University in 1962. He was a Founder member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, president of Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity, and a member of Phi Theta Kappa honorary society.
In 1963 he graduated from FSU with an MBA degree and was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma national honorary society.
He had a long career in retailing, including Bonwit Teller in New York City; divisional merchandise manager at Ivey's in Charlotte, NC, and at Yeilding in Birmingham, AL. After retirement, he moved to Fairhope, AL, where he was an active member of St. James Episcopal Church, the Nix Center and an avid bridge player and traveler.
He is survived by his wife Linda M. Willson of Fairhope; a son, Marine Lt. Col. Brent S. Willson and wife Radka, Newport, RI; a daughter, Laura Schweitzer and husband Dane; granddaughter Olivia Schweitzer and grandson Ian Schweitzer, all of Folsom, CA; and a sister Jane Lee Bullock and family, of Columbus, GA.
A memorial service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church March 8 at 8 am.
EDITOR'S NOTE: I knew Jim (he was "Jimmy" then) since kindergarten at North Ward Elementary, and I believe we both attended Sunday school at First Methodist Church. He always had a head of thick black curls and a big smile. He was always one of the better students in our class, very polite, very conscientious.
His father was CEO of the old Willson-Chase Department Store on Central Ave and 5th St. His mother was a very warm and gracious lady who was the room mother for a number of our classes at North Ward. At one point, the Willsons lived in that beautiful stone house at the corner of 9th St. N. and 38th Ave.
His wife Linda was also one of my North Ward classmates from the very beginning--kindergarten through 6th grade, although she went to St. Pete High while Jim went to Northeast.
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