Gail Weigel Wilson, 65, of Vero Beach, passed away on March 26, 2014, after a long and difficult battle with a brain tumor.
Her husband, Robert, and his son, Steve, were by her side, as they have been throughout her journey over the past fifteen months, after the initial and sudden diagnosis which was followed by surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
She is survived by her husband, Robert; stepson, Steve Wilson; sister, Nancy (Robert) Ramsey; brother, Robert (Becky) Weigel; and many nieces and a nephew.
She was preceded in death by her parents, and a niece, Ellen Weigel.
Wilson fought the battle with her tumor as she has always conducted her life, thoughtfully, meticulously following all directions with a positive attitude. She moved to Florida in December of 200 with her husband, and they made their home in Vero Beach.
As Wilson wrote in her journal a few years ago, “I have never been happier in my whole life.”
She was actively involved in her exercise classes with Gini and “the girls” and volunteered at the Vero Beach bookstore when authors came to town. She took advantage of the many cultural opportunities at the Vero Beach Art Museum and the Riverside Theater.
She loved showing off the area to visiting friends and family. She was a lifelong reader whose personal book collection rivaled that of some public libraries. She was an avid puzzle worker, doing both crossword and Sudoku, and a scrabble player who was hard to beat.
Wilson was a Disney World devotee with an annual pass that was used throughout the year often. She also enjoyed traveling, not just to Disney, but also to Hawaii where she and her husband enjoyed their Maui timeshare.
She loved her home in Florida but was always ready for the next big adventure, whether that meant traveling the length of Route 66, tracking down all of the lighthouses along the Great Lakes, or investigating the country from one end to the other. When the trips involved meeting up with family or friends, it was all the more fun.
Wilson was a positive, optimistic ray of sunshine to friends, family, and strangers. Always ready with a smile, and a “thank you and have a wonderful day.” She will be missed by many whose lives she touched, both family and a wide circle of friends.
Wilson was born Aug. 11, 1948, in Hamilton, Ohio to Robert and Helen Weigel. She graduated from Taft High School in 1966 and from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1970, with a degree in social work.
She began her career in 1970 as a case worker in Butler County and ended her career as Assistant Director of Human Services in Butler County, Ohio.
Funeral services and burial will be in Hamilton, Ohio on Monday, March 31. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to VNA Hospice Foundation, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, Florida 32960, for VNA Hospice House, where Wilson spent her last days being cared for by loving nurses, aides, and volunteers. Online condolences are available at www.weigelfuneralhome.com.
