Four short months after the passing of his beloved wife Kristy, Michael 'Mike" Linn Wilson championed his vow 'til death do us part and joined his wife eternally on August 9, 2024. Although his walk with God was a personal one, he headed his mission to become a life-long sailor navigating some rough waters to overcome and be continually renewed. Mike was born on September 8, 1945, in Braddock, Pennsylvania to Fran and Inza Wilson and older sister Linda, before the family moved to Texas in 1953.  He grew up in the lower valley of El Paso and attended Cadwallader Elementary.  Mike and Kristy grew up together as next door neighbors. Mike was known as the neighborhood menace, often pranking schoolmates and running rowdy through the streets; his circle of friends known to the town as the “lower valley riff raff”.

After graduating from Ysleta High School in 1963, Mike served his country proudly as a Radarman 3rd Class in the United States Navy 67-69. His service as an Operations Specialist included time aboard the USS Niagara Falls and USS Castor during the Vietnam War. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from UTEP and graduated in 1969. He worked for El Paso Natural Gas as a Buyer, then becoming a Safety Coordinator for ELCOM before retiring in 1998. 

Mike's neighborhood gang followed him and picked up a few others that became loyal friends over the years, Mike is preceded in death by his mother and father, Fran and Inza Wilson and his devoted wife Kristy Wilson, who quite literally gave her life to look after his. He is survived by his older sister, Linda and Bruce Kennedy, his daughters, Michelle and husband Jack Benham of west El Paso, TX, Keely and husband Jerald Reynolds of Lockhart, TX, Kristal and husband Rob Anguiano of Houston, TX; 12 grandchildren & 1 great granddaughter.  His beautiful dog companion, Sedona. His life-long friends and confidants, Dr. Charles Tim Brady, Ric Porte, Mike McFall, Butch Wheeler; Lifelong neighbors and friends, Pam and Gary Pippen and The Dibler/Smith family - Bobby and Missy Dibler, Rob and Vicky Dibler with Kellie and Steve Smith who have wrapped their arms around the family in the past few trying months of grief; as well as numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and devoted friends. 

The family will hold a private ceremony at Ft Bliss before Mike sails away for one last voyage with the Neptune Society to be forever at sea.