Joseph Gregg Wilson Jr.

Gregg was born in Moscow, Idaho where he was the son of prominent surgeon Dr. Joseph Gregg Wilson MD and his wife and nurse Helen Wilson. Gifted with the brain of an engineer, Gregg learned early on how to build and repair almost anything mechanical or electrical, skills which proved useful throughout his life.

After graduating from the University of Idaho Gregg headed to the San Francisco Bay Area where he worked at the Westinghouse Marine Division in Sunnyvale. While at a party Gregg met a recent nursing graduate from Minnesota named Joan and they hit it off. Joan led Gregg into believing that she drove a fancy Karman Ghia sports car, but he later learned that it was actually a beat up pickup truck. Despite this, a loving relationship began that evening, and so they married and raised three sons in Sunnyvale.

Gregg nurtured a lifelong hobby building and flying model airplanes. With his wife and kids in tow he taught himself how to fly radio control planes on a local middle school sports field, and in the process terrified several tennis players on the nearby courts as his plane flew dangerously close. Although the DIY urge remained strong he wisely joined the local Pioneer R/C club where he continued to develop his flying skills with minimal risk to others. He later used those skills to teach others to fly, including his own sons. Gregg eventually took on leadership roles within the club in addition to becoming the master BBQ chef at the well attended club picnics.

Over the years Gregg experimented with other hobbies but not all of them lasted. Deep sea fishing was attempted on several occasions however the resulting sea sickness and cleaning of the fish put an end to that hobby. Shortly after, Gregg purchased a Kamado Japanese clay oven and began dazzling family and friends with amazing barbecue. His kids and grandkids looked forward to dinner invites knowing that a delicious meal was sure to be had.

After working at Westinghouse for 35 years, Gregg and Joan enjoyed their retirement traveling the world. Gregg’s first big adventure started when he bought a brand new Dodge van and filled it full of custom cabinets and a bed that he made. Joan and Gregg took the van on a several week drive to Alaska and the arctic circle. Soon after their return they began traveling by land, sea, and air to destinations worldwide. They always returned with lots of pictures and stories to share.

Gregg’s ability to make and repair almost anything was recognized far and wide. Whether repairing a car, building furniture, wiring a house, or troubleshooting plumbing problems, Gregg always seemed to have the knowledge needed to complete the job. These skills proved useful when he volunteered to take on a maintenance role at Joan and Gregg’s church. Gregg made his kids especially nervous when the church’s day care heating system failed during a severe storm. He was there with a ladder in hand climbing onto the roof to complete repairs. Gregg’s kids worried that his volunteering would leave him with too little time to help with their projects, but somehow he always found time to help his kids with their home remodel and repair projects, and even found plenty of time to spend with his grandkids.

Gregg volunteered to work with his oldest grandson to restore and automate a 1960’s scale model of the Apollo lunar lander training simulator for the Moffett Naval Air Museum. The knowledge Gregg imparted excited his grandson enough that he is now pursuing a PhD in robotics. Gregg also spent hundreds of hours volunteering for the DaSH human powered airplane project, and he and his wife enjoyed watching its successful flights at local airports at 4:30AM when the winds were calm and the runways were closed.

First and foremost Gregg was a loving husband to his wife Joan, and father to his three boys Joe, Garrett, and Brian. They will lovingly cherish memories of family dinners where he would talk about his day at work and with a twinkle in his eye declare that he is going to “fire the guy!” Years later these disciplined employees would stop and thank him for helping them find their way. Family dinners were even more special when he came up with a new recipe for grilling what his family affectionately called the world’s best barbecue chicken. Gregg was also a wonderful grandfather, friend, and mentor to many, always willing to lend a hand, his wisdom, or his tools.

Gregg is survived by his wife Joan; brothers Jacob Wilson and John Wilson; and his children Joe, Garrett, and Brian Wilson; as well as many grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his sisters Alice Mae Giles and Velma Lemon.

A celebration of life service will be held at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Los Altos, CA on a date in 2023 yet to be determined.