September 22, 1934 – March 2, 2026
Edward Lyle “Babe” Wilson died on March 2, 2026 at the age of 91 at Madrone Hospice House in Yreka with his son and granddaughter at his side. Babe was born on September 22, 1934 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to Delbert L. “Jimmy” and Evelyn Wilson. He attended high school in Nampa, Idaho, from the family farm where he learned to drive and love cars. When the family moved to California, he attended Narbonne High School in Lomita, helping the gymnastics team win competitions and becoming a cheerleader before leaving school to join the U.S. Air Force, spending the Korean War as an airplane mechanic supporting the “Hurricane Hunters” on the island of Bermuda.
Babe studied and earned a GED high school diploma, and attended El Camino Jr. College in Torrance, where he learned how to make the silver and turquoise jewelry that he always loved giving away to his friends. He married Marian Lopez, adopted her daughters and fathered his three beloved sons. When he married Beverly, he gained two more daughters.
