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John T. “Jack” Wilson, longtime resident of Madison passed away on Jan. 3 at Yale New Haven Hospital. He was the husband of Mary Elaine (Harris) Wilson for 61 years. Jack was born in New Haven on Nov. 19, 1937, son of the late John T. and Rosemary (Kennedy) Wilson.

He was the loving father of Brian (Carolyn), John (Maureen), James Wilson, and Heather Rosenquist (Erik). Jack is also survived by his four grandchildren, Kelsey and Emma Rosenquist, Patrick Wilson, and Jackson Anderson-Wilson. He was predeceased by his sister Rosemary Wilson Murty.

Jack attended St. Lawrence School and graduated from West Haven High School class of 1956. He then attended CT School of Electronics. Before retirement, Jack had worked for 35 years as an air traffic control electronic technician for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Family, faith, and laughter were the pillars of Jack’s life. Jack was a kind and loving partner to his wife Mary Elaine as well as a remarkable father to all his children and grandchildren. He answered to many names—John, Jack, Babe, Dad, Papa, and Mister—but Papa was his favorite.

His love of sailing, which began as a teenager, took him on many trips with his wife and children especially around Long Island Sound and to Essex, Block Island, and Newport to name a few. Jack will be remembered for his love of traveling, where some of his best adventures were spent in Scotland, Italy, and a riverboat cruise down the Danube with his wife and friends.

Jack found great joy in entertaining friends and family whether it be on the boat or his tennis court or by playing his guitar and singing to others. He loved to recount jokes and tall tales from the past, often getting himself caught up in stitches. He was a life-long fan of the Red Sox and an avid tennis player where he maximized his retirement playing several times a week both in Connecticut and Florida.

Jack was a dedicated member of St Margaret’s Catholic Church in Madison and St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Bradenton, Florida. Jack was incredibly generous to everyone he met and had so much love for others and his family, in retirement, he volunteered his time by driving for Madison Community Services and often supported extended family members by helping them age in place and retain their dignity. He was a devoted husband as well as an adoring father, grandfather, uncle, and friend to many. His caring nature, wonderful stories and infectious laughter will be missed deeply by all who knew him.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at St. Margaret RC Church, 24 Academy Street, Madison, at a date in the near future. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Madison Community Services, 50 Mungertown Road, Madison, CT 06443, https://madisoncommunityservices.org/; Make a Wish, 4742 North 24th Street, Suite 400 Phoenix, AZ 85016, https://wish.org/; Red Sox Jimmy Fund Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, P.O. Box 849168 Boston, MA 02284-9168, https://www.jimmyfund.org/; or a charity of your choice. Arrangements are in the care of Guilford Funeral Home. 115 Church Street, Guilford. To share a memory or leave condolences, visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com.