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.
Babe worked at Shell petrochemical company in Torrance and opened a cabinet shop in his backyard. He entered the construction industry driving a backhoe and learned to build houses with the help of his friend, Steve Neesby. Then he fled the big city and landed with his big family in Hornbrook.
Babe learned to love fishing with his father, a proprietor of a bait and tackle shop in San Pedro before becoming a skipper of a sports fishing yacht, Babe spent the rest of his life with a pole in his hands every chance he got, on lakes and rivers and the ocean. Like his dad, he loved teaching people how to fish. He loved riding his motorcycle, dancing in the park with the Lucky Ducks, and going roller skating with the kids in his life. He loved working and playing and hanging with his friends.
When he stopped walking on joists, he joined David Whipple at the Gold Connection and became his right hand man until Dave moved the shop to Hawaii. When George Akers wanted to abandon his yard maintenance business, he gave his friend, Mr. Wilson, the equipment and the old green Studebaker pickup truck, and gave his clients Babe.
Mr. Wilson was a kind, patient, generous and happy man. He leaves behind his wife, Kate; his son, Mark; stepdaughters Diana, Lara and Kimberly; grandchildren Monica Hodgson, Garrett Hodges, Sesanie Lonnon and Joey Wilson; great grandchildren Kadence Hodgson, Rilee Lynn and Myles Lonnon, and his friends. Babe was predeceased by his mother, Evelyn, his father, Delbert “Jimmy” Wilson, his sons, Eddie and Dan, and his brother, George.
We will miss him.
sourced: https://www.girdnerfuneralchapel.com/obituaries/
