William "Bill" Wilson

William “Bill” Wilson was born at home near Longmont, Colorado on October 14, 1941, and passed away on March 7, 2026, in Wray, Colorado. He was the second son of Robert Clyde and Edna Mae Wilson.

Bill spent his childhood in the Longmont area, where hard work was simply a way of life. He worked on farms and took odd jobs to help his family, often finishing a shift at the A&W Drive-In, hauling hay, catching a few hours of sleep, rising at 4:30 a.m. to milk cows, and still making it to school. That tireless work ethic stayed with him throughout his life.

A proud member of the Happy Aggies 4-H Club from 1952 to 1959, Bill threw himself into the program with characteristic enthusiasm. What began with a Hereford steer grew to include projects in foods, chicken, tractor, forestry, pig breeding and fattening, sheep breeding and fattening, beef breeding, junior leadership, electric, corn, and barley. In 1958, he was elected State 4-H President, an achievement he carefully documented in a binder his children and grandchildren have treasured ever since.

He graduated from Brighton High School with the class of 1959, where he was active in FFA, earning the FFA/FHA Sweetheart King title his senior year, and participated in the Victory Grange, the 4-H Square Dance Team, Junior Red Cross, wrestling, and baseball. His love of baseball and wrestling carried into adulthood and was passed down to his sons and grandson. Bill went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Colorado State University in 1963. He began his career as an Agricultural Extension agent in Rocky Ford while also serving in the Army National Guard.

On September 6, 1964, Bill married Judith Eppinger. The couple welcomed daughter Deanne Lorae and son Terry Lee while living in Rocky Ford. In 1968, they moved to Burlington, Colorado, where Bill launched the tax preparation business he would run for the rest of his life. Daughter Kimber Lynae was born in Burlington, and after the family’s final move to Wray, son Erik Leo completed the family.

With both Bill and Judy rooted in 4-H, all four children participated in the program, extending Bill’s involvement by another 15 years. He taught the boys everything they needed to know about their animals, and his well-known sweet tooth was happily satisfied by whatever the girls pulled from the oven. Though Bill and Judy’s marriage ended, they remained friends and co-parented with grace, showing their children that a parent’s love does not end with divorce.

Bill’s tax practice grew alongside his family. Serving clients across the tri-state area from offices in Burlington, Wray, Benkelman, and St. Francis, and making countless house calls, he built relationships that went far beyond numbers. His deep knowledge of agriculture helped countless farmers manage their finances with confidence, and many of those clients became lifelong friends.

In 1990, Bill fulfilled a lifelong dream by purchasing the farm in Hillrose where he would spend the rest of his days. He worked that land for many years before entrusting much of it to his dear friend and neighbor Brian Pabst. It was also in Hillrose that he shared his life with Elaine Baudino, his partner of nearly 40 years. They built a home together and became cherished bonus parents and grandparents to each other’s children and grandchildren. Their bond was steady, warm, and full of humor.

Bill was a reader, a tinkerer, a builder, and an enthusiastic collector. He leaves behind a life marked by hard work, deep loyalty, and a sharp wit that kept everyone around him on their toes. He had a quiet gift for taking care of people, even when he pretended not to. He will be dearly missed.

Bill is survived by his love, Elaine Baudino; his children Terry Wilson, Kimber (Tim) Householder, and Erik (Katie) Wilson; son-in-law Eldon Norris; grandchildren Sam Norris, Chantal (Adrian) Norris, Dan (Daelynn) Norris, Eden Wilson, and Kavan Wilson; great-grandchildren Casey Norris and Daniel Norris; brother Bob (Judy) Wilson, sister Karen (Mike) Floeter, and sister-in-law Michelle Wilson; nieces Kelly (Paul) McMahon, Tracy (David) Shreiner, Kristen (Chris) Paquet, Catherine (Ryan) Bretag, Valentina Anghel, John (Monika) Crannell, and Annie (Pat) McGinnis. Elaine’s family includes children Renee (Rollins) Loflin, Craig Baudino, and Rejan (Michael) Riccotone; grandchildren Johnny (Zoey) Loflin, Allie Loflin, Bailey Riccotone, Connor Riccotone, Brock Baudino, Bricelyn Baudino; and great-grandchildren Isla and Jack Loflin; sisters Jeannie Nanninga and Bernice (Larry) Seib; nephews Daniel Nanninga, Mark (Tammy) Seib, and Michael Seib; nieces Michelle (Brian) Foley and Marlo (Steve) Lujan; and many loved cousins, grandnieces, grandnephews, and friends.

He was preceded in death by his daughter Deanne Norris; brother Richard Wilson; parents Robert Clyde and Edna Mae Wilson; step-father Elihue Tucker; and Elaine’s brother-in-law Don Nanninga.