21 years ago, I decided to pledge a business fraternity called Delta Sigma Pi at UCLA. Little did I know, I’d find my future husband and a new family member that year. Though DSP, Kevin and I were fortunate enough to meet an amazing group of friends and one of them was Wilson. Kevin and Wilson shared a very special bond and we often joked that we would eventually adopt him as our child. Although legal papers were never drawn up, Wilson was family. We celebrated holidays together, talked for hours and gave each other advice when we needed it, joked and laughed at the dinner table when he would stay with us, raised Abby and Anderson together and most importantly supported each other when times were tough.

This past year was extremely difficult for Wilson while he was being treated for cancer but he was determined to get better and always tried to keep a positive outlook. Although today he lost his long fought battle, Wilson was a fighter. In the toughest of times, he never gave up and always tried to live life to its fullest. It was heartbreaking to learn of Wilson’s passing today, but we will always remember him as a warrior that has left us too soon. He has taught my family many life lessons and for that, we will always be grateful. Wilson, thank you for all the memories. You will be missed and may you Rest In Peace ❤️.

Stephanie

Being able to spend quality time with Wilson in SF over the course of 4 trips throughout the summer is something I will always cherish. We had very candid conversations ranging from watches to women to 'whether Frank Gore is HOF-worthy' to life itself. It was the same Wilson I met in 2002, hung out with throughout college and grew a strong bond with until he left for Asia. I am very thankful and blessed that I was able to tell him everything I thought leaving nothing unsaid.  He was a truly complex, yet gentle soul that I never argued with nor ever had a strong disagreement with.  In a world where everyone just wants to argue about stupid crap, Wilson was someone that you could just talk 'with'.  

He was someone that I was 100% comfortable describing the 'skeletons in my closet' (figuratively) and it was ok - no judgment. Friends like Wilson are very rare and you only realize that with age, experience, and broken relationships.  He left me with plenty of his own learnings in life that I have taken to heart, and I am lucky that he was willing to share 'the good, the bad, and the ugly'.

Wilson was not perfect (nobody is), but he was always accountable for his actions and never blamed anyone for some of the issues he faced after college. His life cannot and should not be confined nor defined by simple questions because it was his complexity that actually made him very special. 

I hope people that did not get to see the introspective and good-natured side of Wilson that I was lucky enough to experience get to hear stories about him that fill in the picture about who he really was. There are misconceptions and generalities that do not shed one ounce of insight into what he was about.

He meant more to me than I ever realized, and writing his obituary is something that was far more difficult than I ever could have imagined...but it turned out to be a therapeutic exercise that made me appreciate him that much more.

- MJL