Modesto resident Stanley Irving Wilson died August 8, 2013 at Casa de Modesto. He was 90. Mr. Wilson was born in Madera. He was the youngest of four children born to Wilford and Ethel Clark Wilson. His sisters Ilene and Olive and his brother Wilford all preceded him in death. The Wilson family moved to Modesto in the early 1930’s when it came time for his oldest sister to start college at Modesto J.C. Mr. Wilson completed all his basic education in the Modesto schools graduating from Modesto H.S. in 1940 and Modesto J.C. in 1942. He always took an interest in student activities and, during his senior year in high school served as president of the student body. He continued his education at Stanford University where he graduated following navy duty during World War II. He had an active interest in journalism and writing which he pursued in a number of ways throughout his life. He had worked as a reporter for newspapers in Sacramento and Los Angeles. In the early 1960’s, he taught honors English and yearbook publication at Downey High School. In the 1970’s, he was back at Stanford as editor-in-chief of The Stanford Earth Scientist, the publication of the School of Earth Science. His interest in athletics led him to a meeting with Stanford football coaches, John Ralston and Mike White. The three of them collaborated on the production of a textbook, Coaching Today’s Athletes: A Football Textbook. It was published in 1971 by National Press Books of Palo Alto. In the late 1980’s he moved from the peninsula to Turlock where he served as a part-time instructor at Cal State, Stanislaus and also assisted with sports news from the campus. He served as managing editor of The Signal, the student newspaper and later launched his own publication, Sportsline, which was devoted to sports and recreation news of Stanislaus and Merced counties. He became an avid follower of the women’s athletic programs in basketball, softball, and volleyball at Cal State. In appreciation of his support, the teams named him their “number one fan.” All of his activities in the field of journalism came to an end when he lost his vision due to macular degeneration.
Mr. Wilson is survived by two adult children, Laura Salzato of Colorado, and Brian Taylor of New Mexico. Memorial service plans are pending. Arrangements entrusted to Turlock Funeral Home 425 N. Soderquist