Wilson Gilliland Duprey

Wilson Gilliland Duprey died at 4:47 a.m. Tuesday, August 25, 2020, at Vancrest Health Care Center in Van Wert.  

He was born June 21, 1924, in Van Wert, the son of Rei and Berneace (Gilliland) Duprey, who both preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by an older brother, Richard Eugene Duprey.

He graduated from Van Wert High School in 1942. After spending two years at The Ohio State University in Columbus, he transferred to George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he graduated with bachelor’s degree in 1946. At Columbia University, in 1948, he graduated with his master’s degree from the School of Library Service.

Prior to going to Columbia University he had worked at the Library of Congress from 1944 to 1948. From 1949 to 1953 he was on the library staff of Stanford University, as assistant in the Rare Book Room. From 1953 to 1966 he was an assistant in the Prints Division of the New York Public Library, where he worked not only with original prints but with rare books and manuscripts of the Spencer Collection. From 1966 to 1974, he was the curator of the Map and Print Room of the New York Historical Society in New York City. In 1974, he returned to Van Wert to retire, but in 1976 he became the director of the Brumback Library in Van Wert, and remained there until his retirement in 1985.

Wilson crisscrossed the United States many times, starting in 1932 when he and his brother drove to California with their parents, starting his addiction to travel, which they termed “travelitis”. As a result, he made 14 trips to Europe following his personal and professional interests in the fine arts and libraries.

In Van Wert he had been a member of the Men’s Garden Club and the Van Wert County Historical Society. He was also a member of the Toledo Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, the Wine Label Circle, and the Wayward Tendrils.

Wilson has chosen to be cremated with no memorial services.

Alspach-Gearhart Funeral Home & Crematory in Van Wert is handling the arrangements.  

Condolences may be expressed at www.alspachgearhart.com.