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On Jan. 3, John T. “Jack” Wilson, longtime resident of Madison, passed away 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 and Patrick Wilson and Jackson Anderson-Wilson. He was predeceased by his sister Rosemary Wilson Murty.

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; some of his best adventures were spent in Scotland, Italy, and a riverboat cruise down the Danube with his wife and friends.

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 23, at St. Margaret R.C. Church, 24 Academy Street, Madison. Burial will follow in Westside Cemetery, Race Hill Road, Madison. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Madison Community Services, 50 Mungertown Road, Madison, CT 06443; Make a Wish, 4742 North 24th Street, Suite 400 Phoenix, AZ 85016; Red Sox Jimmy Fund Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, P.O. Box 849168 Boston, MA 02284-9168; or a charity of your choice. Arrangements are in the care of the Guilford Funeral Home, 115 Church Street, Guilford. To share a memory or leave condolences, visit www.guilfordfuneralhome.com.