Tommy Van Wilson Jr, loving Husband, Father, Papa, Son, Brother, Uncle, and treasured friend to many, passed away unexpectedly at the age of 58 while playing Pickleball, a sport he loved.
Born December 9, 1963, in Denver, Colorado, son of Tom Wilson and Mary Lee (Davis) Wilson, Van grew up and established his roots in Westminster, Colorado. In 1988, Van married his high school sweetheart, Lisa Posey. Van and Lisa started their family while he was attending Optometry School in Oregon.
From the time Van’s children were born, he never missed an opportunity to make meaningful memories with Cole (31) and Cassidy (24). Van always poured his heart and soul into planning adventures. This included many unforgettable trips and fun-filled outings. Van's family and friends will never let go of those memories and will always hold them very dear to their hearts.
For the past couple of decades, Van made digital photo books of the year's adventures and had them made into beautiful albums. These annual memory books of all the love and joy-filled times shared with Van are now priceless treasures that will be cherished forever.
One of the biggest blessings in Van’s life was when his son Cole and Cole’s wife, Ashley, made him a proud Papa. Van loved nothing more than sharing chocolate sprinkle ice cream with Celia Rose (3) and hogging the baby-snuggles with Eliza Violet (4 months).
A fierce competitor, Van grew up excelling in whatever sport was in season. Through sports, life-long friendships were formed, even those that may have begun with rivalry. Growing up as Van’s little brother, Rod (56) learned valuable life lessons just by watching his big brother. Van taught the importance of honest, hard work and that by living a life with integrity, you will always come out on top.
Later in life, Van shared his passion and knowledge by coaching Cole and Cassidy along with several of their friends. Following in his dad Tom’s footsteps, Van took pride in making a difference in young people’s lives by mentoring and coaching basketball. Still to this day, many of those kids and their families remain connected to the Wilson Family because of Van’s influence.
Over the past several years, Van developed a love for daily reading, likely passed along from the favorite pastime of his mom, Mary Lee. Christian-based literature was a paramount part of his spiritual journey. Van’s faith in Jesus never wavered.
A cause very near and dear to Van’s heart was the Team Jack Foundation which partners with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Van’s favorite college football team. If you would like to make a donation to this charity in Van’s memory to help raise money to fund childhood brain cancer research, please visit teamjackfoundation.org.
A Memorial Service for Van will be held on Friday, October 7th, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. at Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette. The service will be livestreamed here and will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m.
"Go Big Red"
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