Josephine W. “Jody” Wilson

Josephine W. “Jody” Wilson passed away peacefully Friday evening, April 5, 2024, at Van Wert Manor.

She was born October 12, 1953, in Atlanta, Georgia to William A. and Josephine H. Wills, who preceded her in death.

On June 8, 1996, she married her soulmate, D. Christopher Wilson who survives. She is also survived by her husband’s children, Jennifer (Chris) Houston of Fort Wayne and Mary (Matt) Ogdahl of Saline, Michigan; grandchildren, Myles and Levi Ogdahl; first cousins, Beth Startzel Brown of Edom, Texas and Susie Startzel Hennen of Denton, Texas, plus her two devoted fur babies, Frankie and Sheamus.

She was involved in education most of her professional career. Her most rewarding position was tutoring adults for GED, in both Lima City Schools and the WORTH Center in Lima.

Jody was a voracious reader and a master gardener. She loved singing, and was a member of choirs at First United Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church in Van Wert. She enjoyed theater, having performed with Van Wert Civic Theatre, Stagecoach Dinner Theatre, Off Stage Productions Dinner Theatre, and Amil Tellers Encore Theatre in Lima. She was the recipient of several acting awards.

In later years, Jody and Chris were blessed with both the time and resources to vacation several times in Hawaii, spending most of their time on the Big Island. They treasured every minute in Hawaii and talked about it all year long, either sharing memories or in anticipation of their next trip.

Funeral services will take place at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 20, at Alspach-Gearhart Funeral Home & Crematory, Van Wert, with the Pastor Steven Haddix presiding. Visitation will be from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday. Casual dress is acceptable.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to the Van Wert County Humane Society.

To share in Jody’s online memorial, visit www.alspachgearhart.com.