Ralph Rodney Wilson Jr., treasured family
Ralph "Rod” Rodney Wilson Jr., 80, of Lewes, passed away Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022. He was born May 26, 1942, in Newark, son of the late Ralph Rodney (Buck) and Marion (Futcher) Wilson, Rod's biological parents.
Rod grew up in two homes, one with his parents and later with his grandparents due to a chronic health issue. He had two younger siblings, Lydia and Forest.
Rod’s grandparents’ home was in Newark. It was during this time that he graduated from Newark High School in June of 1960. During his three years of high school in Newark, he played on the Newark Yellowjackets football team, starting as the right offensive guard. Rod also played in the 1959 Delaware Blue-Gold All-Star Football game. In September 1960, he entered the Ag School of the University of Delaware, studying agronomy. Rod graduated in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in agronomy, continuing with his studies and obtaining a master’s degree in 1967.
Throughout his college years, Rod spent his summers in Rehoboth Beach working as a lifeguard during the day and working as a busboy at The Avenue Restaurant in the evenings. During his experience working at the Avenue restaurant, Rod met a young lady, Carolyn Horner from Clarksburg, W.Va. These two young people dated and married in October of 1965. It was a big wedding held at Carolyn’s home in Clarksburg, W.Va. Rod and Carolyn Wilson were blessed with two baby girls, Wendy Wheat, born March 1, 1968, and Tracy Rittenhouse, born May 14, 1970. The Wilson family made their home in several places. First in Frederick, Md., where Rod was stationed while serving in the U.S. Army, as a continued commitment that began when he served in the University of Delaware’s R.O.T.C. program.
The family moved a few times as Rod found employment with agriculture chemical companies across the Midwest. His agronomy degree qualified him as a technical consultant to advise large farmers growing corn and other crops across the Midwest. Many summers Rod and Carolyn continued their love for Rehoboth Beach and would return to vacation. First, they rented places to stay and later purchased a home on Country Club Drive in Country Club Estates in Rehoboth Beach.
In May 1992, the Wilson marriage failed, and Rod and Carolyn divorced. Rod stayed in Rehoboth, living in the house on Country Club Drive, while Carolyn returned to the family home in West Chester, Pa. Rod retired from the ag business after many dedicated years.
In 1995, Rod met and married Ruby Jones, and together they purchased a hotel on Rt. 1 called The Rehoboth Inn, where they worked hard to establish a hospitality business, which they sold when COVID-19 hit the area in 2020. Rod suffered another loss Dec. 13, 2020, when Ruby suffered a stroke and passed on two days later.
Rod just never seemed to recover from the loss of Ruby. He lived alone and only ventured out of the house to go to the post office, possibly have lunch with an old friend at Crystal, or have a burger one evening a week with his cousin. Rod fell in his kitchen and broke his hip Oct. 24, 2022. He was assigned to Atlantic Rehabilitation Center in Millsboro, where he passed away exactly two years to the day after Ruby, Dec. 13, 2022. Time spent with family was what he treasured more than anything. Rod was a wonderful husband, father, and friend. Loved by many, he will be deeply missed by all who had the good fortune to know him.
Final care for Rod has been entrusted to Parsell Funeral Homes and Crematorium, Atkins-Lodge Chapel, Lewes.
Visit Rod’s Life Memorial webpage and sign his virtual guestbook at parsellfuneralhomes.com.
