OBITUARY FOR MIKE WILSON – 1947-2022

Mike Wilson (Rollin Michael Wilson), 75, of Springfield, Missouri, passed away on Friday, December 9, 2022.  Mike was born on November 7, 1947 in Eldorado, Kansas, to Rollin Thomas "Tom" Wilson and Clara May Bradford Wilson.  He graduated from Topeka West High School and attended the University of Kansas.

Mike started his architectural engineering career in Kansas City working for Butler Manufacturing.  He also met his beautiful, angel wife, Joy, in Kansas City, and in 1970 (only 9 months after meeting each other) they were married.  Mike and Joy started their family in Kansas City where they were blessed with two beautiful daughters, Jill and Jenny.  Mike was recruited to work for Elward Incorporated, and he and his family relocated to the Denver, Colorado area.  Mike worked on numerous construction projects around the country, including the Skyboxes addition to the original Denver Broncos Mile High Stadium, always using his attention to detail and incredible vision to bring projects to completion.  Mike was then recruited to work for EFCO Corporation, and he and his family relocated to Springfield, Missouri.  Several years later he started his own successful commercial door company, Door Service Unlimited, and after almost 30 years in business he retired in 2021.

Mike was known for being a fierce protector of his family and dearly loved his wife and daughters.  He absolutely adored his grandsons, Hayden and Caleb, who lovingly called him Grumpy.  He was so proud of them and enjoyed cheering them on at sporting events, traveling with them, and watching them grow into amazing young men.  He was fondly nicknamed "Rollin to the Rescue" because he regularly made visits to his daughters' homes to make repairs.

Mike will also be remembered for his punctuality and dependability, his dry sense of humor, his love of talking politics, his incredible dimples (on the rare occasion he smiled), his wealth of knowledge, and his resourcefulness and ability to truly fix anything.  Over the years his hobbies included traveling the world with Joy, skiing, sailing, riding motorcycles, radio-controlled boats and planes, aviation, woodcarving, and fixing anything that was broken.  He touched numerous lives by demonstrating random acts of kindness and not expecting anything in return.  He was a friend and mentor to many.  Mike was a brilliant man and was a member of Mensa International, and he earned his private pilot's license in 2002.

Mike is survived by his wife of 52 years, Joy Wilson; his daughter, Jenny Hubbard and her husband Mike; his daughter, Jill Wiggins and her husband Dennis; two grandsons, Hayden Wiggins and Caleb Wiggins; his sister, Sylvia Kidwell; his nephew Ryan McCollum and his wife Justyne; his nephew Brad McCollum and his wife Wendy and their sons, Nick, Zack and Tyler; his niece Michele Popejoy; and his nephew Russel Popejoy and his wife Misty and their sons, Brandon and Tyler.  His parents, Tom and May Wilson, preceded him in death.

Mike valiantly battled bipolar depression for many years and never complained or used his illness as a crutch. His family takes great comfort in knowing that Jesus Christ is his Lord and Savior and that He has healed him fully.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, January 21, 2023 (Visitation at 1pm and Service at 2pm) at First Baptist Church Chapel, 425 South Avenue, Springfield, MO 65806. For those wishing to honor Mike's memory, donations can be made to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) of Southwest Missouri ( https://namiswmo.charityproud.org ), Lost & Found Grief Center ( https://lostandfoundozarks.com/donate/ ) or the mental health organization of their choice.