George Richard Wilson was born on Tuesday, August 13, 1940 in Provo, Utah to George Junius Wilson and Echo Denning. The family moved from Provo to Salt Lake City and then to Bountiful before he was two years old. Three more children were born to George and Echo; a brother, Val, a stillborn sister, and another sister, Lauralee.
Richard attended Davis County schools and graduated from Bountiful High School in 1958. He attended Weber State College, graduating in 1960 with an associate’s degree. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1966, where he majored in Agricultural Economics with a minor in Agronomy. While at BYU, he worked as a photographer for the campus newspaper Daily Universe.
He was employed by the Utah State Department of Agriculture and worked on grain, seed and forage programs. He worked there for 40 years and became head of the plant engineering department. He has served as chairman of several state committees, including control of noxious weeds and insect pests, including mosquitoes, sponge moths, and Mormon crickets.
He married Jocile Ison of Caldwell, Idaho, in the Salt Lake Temple on April 14, 1965. They had 7 children: Annette, Shegay (Wade) Cook, Martha (Barret) Blake, Rachel (Todd) Godfrey, Elizabeth (Kyle ) Wright, Megan (Jered) Larsen, Jay Richard (Cristina) Wilson. Richard loved his whole family very much and loved seeing and visiting each of them. He counted each of the 14 grandchildren (seven boys and seven girls) as a rich blessing. He was a caring father and husband, the kind of father who would take his son Jay on a Fathers & Sons outing in diapers.
Richard’s testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ was his example and greatest asset. In his wallet he always carried a card his father gave him that read, “Nothing is more important than my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!” every time he reached into his wallet for money , he was reminded of his testimony of Jesus Christ.
He has served five missions in his life: to the northern central states, including part of Canada, as a stake missionary at BYU, as a missionary for the Salt Lake City Family History Library, as a missionary for the Church Educational System with his wife in Michigan -Mission Lansing and Eventually Missionary He served with his wife as a Guest Service Missionary in Temple Square.
Over the years he found great joy in many other callings, including teaching Sunday School. Ward clerk, elders quorum president, councilor in a bishopric, high councilor and high priests group leader, and temple ordinance official.
At age 13, Richard was one of the 50,000 Boy Scouts who attended a 1953 jamboree in Orange County, California. From this experience grew his love for scouting. For 32 years he served in various positions with the Boy Scouts of America, taking boys to many summer and winter camps. He received the Silver Beaver Award for all his services.
He was raised on family pioneer stories that sparked a strong interest in family history. He amassed rich sources of old photographs and stories from his grandparents and relatives on both sides of his family and produced several thick memoirs.
His hobbies included photography, gardening, fishing, Dutch oven cooking, wood carving, and genealogy.
Richard loved the Book of Mormon and read it diligently every morning. Each time he was done, he wrote his start and end dates in it. In his current copy, we’ve found that he’s read it 18 times since 2009. His loyalty will always be an example to posterity.
Richard’s family is grateful for the kind and loving care that Bristol Hospice has provided over the past few months.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at the Bountiful 11th Ward, 115 W. Wicker Lane, Bountiful, Utah. An evening viewing will be held on Friday, September 23, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Russon Mortuary, 295 N. Main Street, Bountiful, Utah, with another viewing on Saturday morning from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m the church before the service. City burial cemetery.
