Memory IN LOVING
Richard Arthur Wilson 15 September 1948 - 11 September 2026 Beloved Husband, Father and Grandpa.
Order of Service Tues 6 October at Arnold Road Evangelical Church Words of reflection Hymn: Abide with Me Prayer Tribute To My Dad by Jared Wilson Photos and videos by Melanie Wilson Reading of Psalm 23 by Marie Booth Hymn: When Peace like a River Message Hymn: Be Thou my Vision Benediction
If you would like to make a donation to charity in Richard’s honour we have set up a collection for Maggies Cancer Centres (who helped the Wilson family over the last year or two). Scan the QR code or visit:
www.justgiving.com/page/richardwilson LARANA MAGAZINE
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Hymns Abide with Me Abide with me, fast falls the eventide; the darkness deepens: Lord, with me abide! When other helpers fail and comforts flee, help of the helpless, O abide with me. Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away; change and decay in all around I see: you never change, O Lord; abide with me. I need your presence every passing hour; what but your grace can foil the tempter's power? Who like yourself my guide and strength can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me. I fear no foe with you at hand to bless; ills have no weight and tears no bitterness. Where is death's sting? Where, grave, your victory? I triumph still if you abide with me. Hold, Lord, your cross before my closing eyes; shine through the gloom and point me to the skies: heaven's morning breaks and earth's vain shadows flee; in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.
Be Thou My Vision Lord, be my vision, supreme in my heart, bid every rival give way and depart: you my best thought in the day or the night, waking or sleeping, your presence my light. Lord, be my wisdom and be my true word, I ever with you and you with me, Lord: you my great Father and I your true son, you in me living and I with you one.
When Peace, Like a River When peace, like a river, attends all my way, when sorrows like sea-billows roll, whatever my path, you have taught me to say, 'It is well, it is well with my soul.' Chorus 'It is well with my soul, it is well, it is well with my soul.' Though Satan may buffet, though trials may come, let this calm assurance control: that Christ knows my need and my helplessness here and has shed his own blood for my soul. The joy, O the joy of this glorious thought! my sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to his cross and I bear it no more; praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! For me it is Christ, it is Christ now to live! Though death's waters over me roll, no fear shall be mine, for in death as in life you will whisper your peace to my soul. But, Lord, for your coming in glory we wait; the sky, not the grave, is our goal; the trumpet shall sound and the Lord shall descend:
bless the Lord, bless the Lord, O my soul!
Lord, be my shield and my sword for the fight: be my strong armour, for you are my might; you are my shelter and you my high tower, raising me heavenward, O Power of my power. Riches I heed not, nor earth's empty praise; you my inheritance, now and always; all of your treasure to me you impart, High King of heaven, the first in my heart. High King of heaven, when victory is won, may I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be my vision, O Ruler of all. LARANA MAGAZINE
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Richard Arthur Wilson A tribute by Jared Wilson
Early Life and Education His father was Arthur Henry Wilson (born 1909) and his mother was Ada Elsie Shaw (Born 1911). However, Ada died in 1950 when my dad was aged just two. This wasn’t something I knew about until I was older or that he ever volunteered much information on. The truth was he was so young when she died that he just couldn’t remember her, but he also acknowledged a feeling that he’d missed out on something as a kid.
My father, Richard Arthur Wilson, was born in the Firs Maternity Hospital Sherwood, Nottingham on 15 September 1948. For historical context Clement Attlee was the UK Prime Minister (in between Winston Churchill's two stints) and George VI was on the throne. ‘Galway Bay’ by Bing Crosby was at the top of the UK music charts and Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Rope’ and John Wayne’s ‘Red River’ were showing in the cinemas. Major historical events from that same year included the launch of the NHS, the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, the first docking of the Empire Windrush boat in the UK and the unveiling of the first ever vinyl LP.
My dad grew up at 103 Harmson Rise, a 3-bed semi-detached suburban house in Basford. His father, Arthur, was a travelling sales rep for ‘Fine Stocking Manufacturers Ltd,’ selling stockings wholesale to stores around the country. He spent a lot of his time being looked after by the neighbours at 105 (Mr and Mrs Richards). However, he also went on regular trips to other cities like Bristol, Edinburgh and Norwich. Often his dad would leave him at the train station for hours while he went to work and pick him up after he’d finished. It was a different time. He had many fond memories of Harmston Rise, including climbing the trees in their pristine gardens (my grandad won various trophies for his gardening). There was also a railway line behind the back garden, another reason for my father’s lifelong love of trains. His grandparents were Arthur Henry Wilson (1881-1955) and Matilda Jane Marshall (born 1879). They lived on Faraday Road in Radford and then Elstree Drive in Wollaton. Dad often spent time with them as a youngster and the Midland trainline ran near their house. LARANA MAGAZINE
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He went to school at Claremont Secondary Modern from 1959-1964. This school was on Hucknall Road, on the site that is now Claremont Primary and Nursery School. His favourite subjects were Art, Science and French. He played as a right back for his school football team at Vernon Park in Basford. As well as trainspotting he also collected stamps. In the late 50s my dad and granddad would often go to watch Forest, including their 1959 FA Cup winning team.
Working Life Upon leaving school he got his first job at the clothing wholesalers William Dixon and Company on Houndsgate, before moving on to work for the Lace manufacturer the Strauss family on St Mary’s Gate. However in 1965 he got a job as a salesman in the men’s clothing department at the Co-op Department store on Upper Parliament Street. This was the start of a 27-year career at the Co-op, which formed much of his working life. From 1969 to 1992 he moved out of the sales department and into office clerk roles at the Co-op. For the first 7 years this was still at Upper Parliament Street, but from 1977-1986 he worked at their offices on Abbey Street in Lenton and then from 1987-1992 at Hargreaves House on Derby Road. Neither of my parents ever learned to drive, but dad was an avid cyclist right up until his mid-60s and this was how he got to work and back each day. I have memories of him sitting me on the handlebars and speeding down our steep road as a child.
In 1992 my dad was made redundant from the co-op due to a takeover. This was a really hard time for him. However, he was a hard worker and between 1993 and 2012 he worked various office and manual jobs for Key Personnel, Joy Mining, Warner, Courtalds, Draefern and Findel until his eventual retirement in 2012.
Family Life When my dad was 12 his father met and settled down with a woman called Lilly Wilson, who I grew up knowing as ‘granny’. She never had biological kids of her own, but provided some kind of belated maternal influence to him. She had also lived an interesting life herself before this, travelling more than most of her era. When she died we found tickets to shows at the Moulin Rouge cabaret in Paris among her possessions.
We were never a wealthy family, but my parents worked and saved hard and there was always enough for a family holiday each year to places like Skegness, Scarborough, Mabelthorpe and Margate. Something we’ll always remember about my dad was his extreme reaction to getting into the cold sea with us kids. It was a bit like a zombie having a fit and we all took great delight in splashing him with cold sea water. Another personal favourite memory of our holidays was him winning a table tennis tournament at Haven Holidays in the Isle of Wight. I was so proud of watching him do that. He really was very good at table tennis too, probably because he spent so much time playing it in church youth clubs. Neither of my parents got any qualifications past school, but they raised three children who all went to university.
In his early 20s my dad met my mum Jenny through church youth clubs in 1971 and they got married on 28 October 1972. Their first home together was on Tulip Road in Awsworth. On 12 March 1974 they welcomed their first child, Melanie, into the world. Two years later followed the arrival of Marie (23 February 1976). Around that time they moved to Winchester Street in Sherwood, which became our family home and still is to this day. On 20 February 1979 the family was complete when my mum gave birth to me. My parents have been Christians for their whole life and worshipped at various churches along the years including Queensbury Baptist (NG6), Clumber Hall (NG1), Mapperley Methodist (NG3), Daybrook Baptist (NG5) and Arnold Road (NG5).
Interests My dad was definitely a man who became quite consumed by his hobbies. Like many young men of his generation he was deeply interested in trains and railways. Of the many hobbies we shared together, this was the one I could never really appreciate or get into. Another strong interest of my dad’s was music and in particular that of Bob Dylan. He appreciated other artists like Joan Baez, Tom Petty, Cliff Richard and The Shadows etc, but for him Bob Dylan was the big one. In the 1990s he joined the Bob Dylan fan club and made various friends through that. In the late 90s and early 00s he went with them to see Bob play live in Manchester and Birmingham.
In 1998, I went to my first Glastonbury festival and Bob Dylan was playing. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go and see him play live. I remember telling my dad after I’d done this and he was really happy about it. On 15 November 2005 Bob Dylan played at Nottingham Arena and we went along to see him play together for the first time. We even wrote a review of it together for my fledgling website leftlion.co.uk. Then on 11 October 2011 we went to see him there again, this time with Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits in support. The final time we went to see Bob Dylan play together was on 28 October 2022. I managed to get us actual front row seats that time, but it was only after I had secured the tickets that I realised it was also my mum and dad’s 50th wedding anniversary. Thankfully my mum was very understanding about it and they celebrated the night after instead. Another interest my dad and I shared was football and, in particular, Notts County FC. The first game he took me to was on 19 December 1987 and we beat Preston North End 4-2 (two goals each from Geoff Pike and Gary Lund). In 1989 we went on a family holiday to Scarborough. I remember heading to the beach and looking in awe at a load of men playing football on the beach. It was the entire Notts County squad training under the new (recently ex-Scarborough) manager Neil Warnock. They posed for photos and kicked a football around with us on the beach.
Neil Warnock went on to take Notts County on to win successive play-off finals at Wembley in May 1990 and June 1991. My dad and I were there both times and watching your team win at Wembley was quite something for an 11year-old. On 13 May 2023 Notts made a playoff final again against our rivals Chesterfield. We both had to delay a family holiday to attend, but it was worth it! One of the tensest games I’ve ever witnessed, ended with a penalty shoot out that we won. My nephew, his grandson, Ethan was with us too. It’s days like those you remember forever. In 2023 as a father’s day gift I bought him a plaque that remains to this day on the wall of the Pavis stand at the stadium. It reads ‘Richard and Jared Wilson, Father and Son’. Every time I go and watch Notts with Ethan or now with my own kids, we'll see it and remember my dad.
Family Line Going back five generations before Richard. 1797 William Wilson is born in Norton Disney, Lincolnshire. He goes on to marry Jane Wilson (born 1806 in Coddington, Notts). William lives until at least 1871 and is listed as an agricultural labourer on the 1861 census.
1830 A son, also called William, is born to William and Jane. He goes on to marry Elizabeth Wragg (born 1832) and they have five children over 18 years (Mary, William, Alice, Richard and Lilly). William II is also listed as an agricultural labourer on the 1861 census.
1859 Richard Wilson is born as the fourth of five children. He marries Martha Sharp in Lincolnshire and together they have seven children over 11 years (Arthur, Mary, Lillian, John, Alma, Julia and Donald). Both Richard and Martha live long lives dying in 1941 and 1954.
1881 Arthur Henry Wilson is born in Thornton le Moor, Lincolnshire; the first son of Richard and Martha. He marries Matilda Marshall (born 1879) and they move to Nottingham. They have two sons; Donald (born 1906) and Arthur Henry (born 1909).
1909 Arthur Henry Wilson is born in Lenton, Nottinghamshire. He marries Ada Elsie Shaw in Nottingham in October 1931. On 15 September 1948 they welcome Richard into the world.
Timetable Funeral and wake on Tuesday 6 October 10am - 11am Funeral Service at Arnold Road Evangelical Church Arnold Rd, NG5 5HN
11.30am - midday Committal at Wilford Hill Crematorium Loughborough Rd, Ruddington, NG2 7FE (please note this part is for family only)
12.30pm - 2.30pm Wake event at Arnold Road Evangelical Church A buffet of sandwiches and cakes with Richard’s church congregation.
2.30 - 6pm Wake event at The Embankment 282-284 Arkwright St, NG2 2GR Skittles, drinks and board games at the Embankment
Towards the end of Richard’s life his son Jared, a journalist by trade, started to interview him about his life. Several of these interviews were videoed. If you’d like to watch them scan the QR code or visit.
www.leftlion.co.uk/richardwilson
Richard Arthur Wilson 15 September 1948 - 11 September 2026 Beloved Husband, Father and Grandpa.