A celebration of the life of Robert Mitchell “Mitch” Wilson, 69, will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, January 22, 2013, at the First United Methodist Church in Brownwood with Dr. Don Scroggs officiating. Burial will follow in Ridgepark Cemetery in Hillsboro. Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Monday, January 21, at the First United Methodist Church.
Mr. Wilson died Wednesday, January 16, 2013, in Arlington.
He was born July 2, 1943, in Waco, Texas, to Marguerite and Bob Wilson. He was one of four very artistically inclined children. He attended Arlington State College and Howard Payne College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education. Seven years into his career, he took a 14-month leave of absence to attend Stephen F. Austin State University and received a master’s degree in painting. His talent in art was noticed early in his childhood during school years in Waco and Arlington. His works hang on the walls of many Brownwood homes and businesses.While a student in college in Brownwood, Mr. Wilson produced and directed numerous talent shows and social events, designing sets, scheduling performers, preparing parade floats as well as other signage. He returned to Brownwood for several years to assist Judy Moore and her dance academy students with her studio’s annual recital, which became major musical productions. In Arlington, he continued such work, and became known as “The Voice of Art Education” there. He championed art education programs especially during challenging economic years, was a tireless advocate of the arts in many venues and supported the annual scholarship program of The Arlington Arts League.
Mr. Wilson’s college education was interrupted by his service in the U.S. Army Infantry in Vietnam. Of his military service, he would later joke that it was his Vietnam experience that gave him the tools to teach junior high school. One week after completing a 14-month tour of duty, he returned to college. After graduation, he was hired to teach at Carter Junior High School in Arlington, Texas. One year later, he moved to Gunn Junior High in Arlington to open its art department, and he would finish his teaching career at Gunn.
Mr. Wilson was recruited to join the staff of a gifted and talented program for the summer. In conjunction with that program, he completed graduate work at the University of Dallas before attending Stephen F. Austin State University.
During his career, Mr. Wilson instructed more than 6,000 students in the classroom, and many additional students participated in extracurricular activities he sponsored. He retired from teaching school on Jan. 17, 2010. More than 200 friends, fellow teachers, family and local teachers attended a celebration in his honor at the Arlington Museum of Art. He received proclamations from the governor of Texas and the mayor of Arlington, and well wishes from First Lady Laura Bush. In retirement, he continued his work in the community, supporting the Arts and Art Education program in Arlington.
During his career, Mr. Wilson was named Texas Art Educator of the Year in 1989, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Man of the Year in 2001. He received the Arlington Arts League’s Linda Cordova Memorial Award in 1997. He was inducted into the Arlington ISD Wall of Fame in 2002, and served as president of the Arlington Arts Education Association of Texas, president of the Arlington Arts League in 2002-2004, and on the board of the Arlington Museum of Art in 2009.
He is survived by his mother Marguerite Wilson of Brownwood, a sister Frances Goodwin and husband Garland of Columbus, a brother Terry Wilson and wife Nancy of Brownwood, 3 nieces Sharon Koontz and husband Keith of Virginia Beach, VA, Terianne and husband Russell Ballard of Alexandria, La, and Heidi Deen and husband Dustin of San Antonio, 2 nephews Thomas Goodwin and wife Judy of Asheville, NC, and Chris Wilson of Alexandria, La, and 8 great nieces and nephews Carol Ann Robertson, Corina Robertson, Taylor and Austin Koontz, Cody Ballard, Christian and Natalie Wilson and Preston Deen. Mitch was preceded in death by his Father Robert “Bob” Wilson, and a brother David Allan Wilson. Arrangements are under the direction of Blaylock Funeral Home of Brownwood.
