Remembering Clarence Wilson: Oceanside man was war veteran, Peace Corps volunteer

By: DAVID GARRICK - Staff Writer | Wednesday, March 7, 2007 7:08 PM PST ∞

OCEANSIDE -- Clarence Wilson, a longtime Oceanside resident and volunteer, led a multifaceted life that included working on the space program, a stint in Africa with the Peace Corps and fighting in World War II as a member of the U.S. Navy.

Wilson, who died Saturday from skin cancer at age 90, was remembered this week by friends and relatives as an extremely bright man who led by example.

"He was the best example of honesty and integrity that I know of," said Dennis Martinek, a good friend who succeeded Wilson on the Oceanside Planning Commission in 1987. "He was my role model because he was always well prepared, and he was always fair."

Martinek said Wilson was a confident man who always wore a smile. "When you looked at him, you could always tell that he was thinking," said Martinek, who is now Planning Commission chairman.

Wilson's second wife, Ruth Shy Wilson, said her husband had a passion for many things, including family, music, farming, public service, the environment and world peace. "He was a person who loved the planet and growing things," she said. "He always wanted his work with the space program to be focused on peace."

Wilson was born in Carson in 1916, where he was inspired by the exploits of Charles Lindbergh to join the Navy as a pilot. After fighting in World War II, Wilson continued working for the Navy until he was hired in the early 1960s to work on unmanned space exploration by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

He helped launch a satellite in 1963 that allowed the United States to watch the 1964 Olympics from Tokyo, his wife said.

When Wilson's first wife died, he joined the Peace Corps in Mali, where he taught agriculture. "He had to learn French in no time flat, because that is what they spoke," his wife said. "He joined the Peace Corps to get his life back together."

After NASA, Wilson moved to North County, where he lived for nearly 40 years. Other than a stint in Fallbrook from 1986 to 1997, Wilson lived in Oceanside.

He served on the city's Planning Commission from 1983 to 1986 and was president of the Southmoore Hills Homeowners Association. He was also associated with the county's planning commission, Mission Resource Conservation District and Oceanside's Housing Rehab Commission.

Wilson and his wife also volunteered at Tri-City Medical Center from 1999 to 2003, she said.

No matter where he lived, Wilson always made time for gardening and cultivating fruit, his wife said. He grew avocados and other fruit in Oceanside, Fallbrook and on farmland in the San Joaquin Valley, she said.

His love of nature and the outdoors also extended to his hobbies. He went fly-fishing with his father as a youngster, his wife said, and often played tennis in his later years. Other hobbies included music, particularly classical music and opera. Wilson and his wife saw multiple performances at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, she said.

While Wilson was quiet for the most part, his wife said he had a sharp sense of humor.

"You wouldn't hear him crack a lot of jokes," she said. "But he would make subtle remarks that it would take awhile to figure out."

In addition to his wife, Wilson is survived by two children from his first marriage, Robert Wilson of Maryland and Margaret Wilson of Springville. He is also survived by two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Wilson's ashes will be scattered at sea. The family is also planning a private memorial.

-- Contact staff writer David Garrick at (760) 761-4410 or dgarrick@nctimes.com.