James Finley Wilson, age 91, of Slate Lick, died on Tuesday, January 4, 2021 at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital. He was born November 26, 1930 in North Buffalo Township to the late Bruce Levi and Lois (Noble) Wilson, and was a lifelong resident of the area. He was a graduate of Kittanning High School, class of 1948, and West Penn Tech as a draftsman. He was a weigh man at Glacial Sand & Gravel before becoming employed at Pittsburgh Glass Works #1 in the Air Craft Division and later becoming a Senior Engineering Specialist in the New Products Group Automotive & Aircraft Division at the PPG Harmarville Research Center from which he retired in 1994 with 43.5 years of service.
He was a member of the Slate Lick United Presbyterian Church where he served as Trustee, Elder and Clerk of Session, and on the Building Committee. Jim enjoyed photography and woodworking, making shelving and clocks and quilt racks for gifts. He also enjoyed growing roses, taking trips out West with his brother, Dick, and he was a beekeeper, beginning at age 13.
Jim is survived by his high school sweetheart, Marie J. (Knappenberger) Wilson, whom he married on September 4, 1954 and celebrated 67 years of marriage. Also surviving is his brother, Joseph C. Wilson and wife, Kathie; nieces, Mary Lee (Tom) Schaub, LuAnn (Bob) Stull, Lesa (Curt) Boyd, Lara (Doug) Shields, Arleen (Ralph) Milliron, Lori Stanfield, Lynn Kistler, Bonnie Depew, and Susan Foster; nephew, Lawn (Amy) Knappenberger; along with many grand-nieces and nephews and great grand-nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his sisters, Eleanor (John W.) Blaney and Janet Wilson; brother, Donald Richard Wilson and his wife, Shirley Wilson; step-mother, Laura F. Wilson; brother-in-law, J. Everett Knappenberger; and nephew, Fred (Gail) Blaney.
Friends will be received from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, January 6, 2021 at F. Duane Snyder Funeral Home, 119 Bear St., Worthington, Pa. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday at Slate Lick United Presbyterian Church, 106 Brown Rd., Freeport, PA with an additional hour of visitation prior to the service. Masks or face coverings are respectfully required to attend the visitation and services. Burial will follow in Worthington Presbyterian Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Jim’s honor to the Memorial Gift Fund at Slate Lick United Presbyterian Church.
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