Reagon W. Wilson, Sr.
1929-2024
Reagon lived a long and meaningful life. Born and raised in Marshall, Texas, he dreamed of bigger things. After high school, he joined the newly formed US Air Force intent on becoming a pilot. His fresh uniform and bold dreams caught the attention of Joanne Goulden, also of Marshall. After a very brief long-distance romance, an inadvisable Christmas wedding was planned. Joanne had no idea that Reagon’s service career would last 23 years (on the ground), and take him to duty stations on 4 continents, 10 countries, and 2 wars. Nevertheless, they made that marriage work for 70 years before Joanne preceded him in death.
The couple is survived by 3 children: Vonda Higgins of Amber, OK; Dr. Reagon Wilson, Jr, of Grandview, MO; and Ward Wilson of Little Rock, AR. They were extremely proud of their 9 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great grands.
Surrendering his life and dreams to Christ in Tokyo, Japan in 1957, the commitment stuck both anchoring and shaping his life. While in the Air Force, Reagon preached for congregations in Tachikawa, Japan; Bitburg, Germany; Phu Cat, Vietnam, and San Rafael, CA. Following retirement, he preached in Plain Dealing and Crowley, LA. He then spent 20 years in a variety of staff positions with Oklahoma Christian University. Part of that time, he also served as an elder of the Edmond Church of Christ.
After nearly 50 years of life in Edmond and OKC, Reagon moved in 2022 to the Kansas City area to live with Reagon, Jr and his wife Rachel. This put 4 generations of Wilsons on the same block and surrounded Reagon with life, love, laughter, and lots of practical support. Reagon loved his God, his family, his church, and his country. He will be missed.
Services will be held at 2:30 on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at Matthews Funeral Home Chapel with interment to follow at 3:30 p.m. at Memorial Park Cemetery.
Viewing will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 9th.
We will be live streaming this service in an effort to accommodate those people that wish to attend but are not able to. To watch the service CLICK HERE to go to our YouTube page. Click on ‘Videos’, then ‘Live Streams’.
I’m so sorry to hear this! Mr. Wilson was very helpful to Rusty and I when we first came to OC! He was the sweetest man and so kind.
I love you Grampy! Thank you for making me and my sister’s bracelets. You were always a creative builder. I enjoyed talking to you and hearing about your life. Seeing the paper airplanes in yalls old house and remembering when yall had the hot tub and apricots in the back yard!
Reagon was a fixture on the OC campus for many years! He was a passionate follower of Jesus, impacted many students and respected by all! Blessings to your family!
I came to realize late in life that I had expended far too much energy seeking to justify my own need for self-differentiation from my father. As his oldest son and namesake, I lived with a compelling, even haunting sense of his looming expectations and inevitable disappointment. I am not him. I needed to plot my own course, annd assert my own initiative and individuality. I needed to be true to what I saw and understood. I “kicked against the goad” for so long that it blinded me from seeing Dad for who he was.
I will be forever grateful for the last three years of having Dad live in our home. Always the Master Sargent. But he had mellowed. Or, maybe I had. Finally, I could see him in a different way. I could see his distinctive personality, his positive attributes, his good hearted intentions, and his amazing strength of character and determination. I am not him. But I finally deeply cherish and respect who he was.
For those who might be interested, Reagon’s novel is available on Amazon.
Google: Far from Eden by Reagon Wilson, Sr.
I recall REAGON and his wife Joanne and his younger family members as one of the first that my late spouse Maury King andI recall meeting at the Edmond Church of Christ in the older building as well as their son and daughter-in-law . Seems like his daughter in law andI had our babies close to the same time. I recall having life group in their home when we were collage students. They made us feel welcome in our new setting.
Frances king and son Andrew King
Frances King