Sonja Marie "Alston" Wilson

Dr. Sonja Marie Wilson, age 85, of Pittsboro, North Carolina, passed away at her residence on March 8, 2026. Born on July 26, 1940, in Pittsboro, she was one of four children born to the late Julius J. and Nettie M. Alston.

A woman of deep faith, Dr. Wilson was a longtime member of Mitchell Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church, where she served as a Missionary and Trustee. She held a profound passion for nursing education, guiding countless students with compassion and a strong sense of community. Her distinguished career included earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Winston-Salem State University, a Master of Science in Medical-Surgical Nursing from Hunter College of the City University of New York, and a Doctorate in Nursing Administration from Teachers College, Columbia University. She held leadership roles as Director of Ambulatory Nursing at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, Assistant Director of Nursing for Quality Assurance at Long Island Jewish Hospital, and various nursing positions at Jacobi Hospital. Later, she returned to North Carolina, serving as a Nursing Professor at North Carolina A&T State University and as an Adjunct Professor at Duke University, where she personally supervised her students’ clinical rotations.

Deeply committed to her community and profession, Dr. Wilson was active in numerous organizations, including the American Nurses Association, the National League for Nursing, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She also played a key role in organizing the Alston and DeGraffenreidt Family Reunion. She is survived by her sister and best friend, Lillian Alston, P.E., and her brother, Jerry A. Alston, both of Pittsboro; nieces Gaye Alston of Durham, Rhonda Alston, Sky Alston, and Destiny Alston of Wake Forest, and nephew Rodney Alston of Raleigh; along with her special cousin and family mentor James P. Chalmers, cherished friends from Winston-Salem including Carolyn Baker and Phyllis Coleman, longtime nursing colleague Carol James, and a host of other relatives, friends, and neighbors.