On the Ides of March, 1984, when the first “Excerpts” appeared in the Rappahannock Record, John Wilson was serving as editor. I distinctly use the word “serving” to describe his role, rather than “working,” or “employed by,” or simply “editing,” because the latter terms would not convey the way he saw his job, nor the manner in which he conducted his work, and indeed, his life.
I had become friends with John when he previously had been the editor of The Northumberland Echo in Heathsville. To know John for only a few moments was to know that he was bonded to the Northern Neck, its history, its land and its people, both past and present. He was a prodigious researcher, who plunged into the past to understand its dynamism, which he considered himself duty-bound to share with others.
John was a gifted writer and editor. His masterful study of our people and places, past and present, Virginia’s Northern Neck: A Pictorial History, appeared in its first printing in 1984, and since that time, has gone through several printings and a second, 25th anniversary edition. The first printing of the first edition is now a collector’s item, sought after by folks who share John’s passion for the lore of our history.
As a writer, John was driven by the need that he perceived to have his words full of meaning and full of life. He wrote nothing by accident, but rather only after he had thought at length about the topic and the verbiage he would use. Many years ago, in the early stages of this column, when I was submitting a late copy, I called him to offer my apology for the late submission.
I told him I was going through a writer’s block and thanked him for his understanding. I clearly recall his response, “Oh, that certainly happens to me a lot.” I responded that in his case it never showed, and he retorted in his typically modest manner, “Maybe.” In his case, whatever “blocks” he encountered were the results of his relentless insistence on having every word that he wrote in harmony with his thought process. He wrote nothing frivolously, always wanting the final copy to be as near to perfection as possible.
Along with many others, I was surprised when he “retired” from the editorship and left the paper to begin a new career working at the Northern Neck-Middlesex Free Health Clinic. His work there reflected his profound concern for those in our area who did not have the means to afford their own health care. Their health and well-being were part of John’s overall perspective of our community. He wanted to tell people of our history, and he also wanted them to be healthy, for the level of his kindness to others was truly overwhelming.
In his years at the clinic, whenever we met, I humorously would ask, “How’s retirement?”, to which he would reply, “I’m working every day.”
Across the years, John never grew old, or became jaded, or took things for granted. He always was calm and resolute, caring for his neighbors and happy to be part of the Northern Neck.
Last month, John died at the age of 73. From his wonderful writings—and editings!—and his compassionate care for those in need, John has left a legacy that will remain a memorable part of our heritage. To sum up, the most all-encompassing statement one can say of John is, “He lived a good life.”
John Cannon Wilson, April 14, 1952 – December 23, 2025. R.I.P.
