Del Wilson was born, December 1935 in rural Stafford County Virginia. His father was in the military and was often away from family, so Del, his mother, and younger brother Ed spent lots of time with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. His father was killed during the war and afterwards he was raised by his paternal grandmother while his brother Ed stayed with their mother who lived a mile down the road. They all continued to be very close, attending church together on Sundays followed by family fun and their traditional “Sunday dinner reunions.”

 

Del attended Stafford County Schools and in high school excelled in sports, especially basketball and baseball. After graduation, he received an appointment to the Military Academy at West Point but turned it down to attend William and Mary where he began playing basketball his freshman year and studying to become a science teacher.

 

After graduating from William and Mary, Del was hired to teach science at Hammond High School in Alexandria Virginia. While teaching at Hammond, Del pursued a graduate degree in counseling and administration at the University of Maryland. He transitioned from the classroom to counseling at Hammond and eventually was appointed the Director of Counseling at T. C. Williams High School before becoming an assistant principal. He dedicated his professional life to young people for 35 years; teacher, counselor, and administrator.

 

After Del‘s retirement in 1994, he was passionately involved in many organizations supporting young people and sports. He served as president of the Alexandria Retired Teachers Association and for many years was an active member of the Optimists Club, providing support, recognition, and scholarships for students. As a longtime member of the Northern Virginia Athletic Directors, Administrators and Coaches Association (NVADACA), he served two terms as President and many years on the Board of Directors. Always available to help, in the days when members sold programs for the regional football, basketball and cheerleading tournaments, Del coordinated all the sales and manpower. Del was committed to the mission of NVADACA, supporting scholarships for student athletes. In addition to his organizational support for young people, Del continued his activities related to his love of and involvement in sports. He served as chairman of the Northern Virginia Softball League for 18 years, where he was a “sizzling” pitcher on many winning teams. Additionally, he coached his own senior basketball team for 12 years. He traveled throughout the country leading both softball and basketball teams to championship play and was particularly honored to have singer, Pat Boone, as a member of his basketball team. At the time of his unexpected passing in 2018, his “Virginia Creepers” basketball team was gearing up to win the gold at the National Senior Games. Del leaves his wife Susan, daughter Pam Keener, son Scott and their families as well as his brother Ed, who served as Athletic Director in several high schools in Arlington County, Virginia. Del dedicated his life to supporting and helping young people through his love of athletics.