Wilson, Mary Louise 'Lucy'

Mary Louise “Lucy” Wilson, 84, longtime resident of Iowa City, died Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, at Windmill Manor Care Center in Coralville. A gathering time for family and friends will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City. Family graveside services will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery.

Mary Louise McCann was born June 30, 1927, in Davenport, Iowa, the daughter of Harry “Hal” and Marjorie “Marnie” (Meardon) McCann.She grew up in Des Moines and graduated from Roosevelt High School. She came to Iowa City to attend then State University of Iowa, where she met her future husband in art classes.

On June 20, 1948, she was united in marriage to John B. ‘Tug” Wilson at her family's home in Urbandale.The couple resided in Iowa City, where they raised their family and worked together, along with all of their children, in the family-owned business, John Wilson Sporting Goods, eventually operating stores in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Des Moines.

They also shared the love of flying, Lucy having earned a pilot's license so she could fly their Piper Cherokee plane alongside Tug.Some favorite destinations were their cabins at Beaver Island, Mich., and in Cassville, Wis.

Their family includes their five children, John Wilson (Patty) of Iowa City, Tom Wilson of Iowa City, Lucy Stevens (Blaine) of Lisbon, Sara Smith (Mark) of Iowa City and Pete Wilson (Amy) of Iowa City; 16 grandchildren; a sister, Marjorie “Dolly” Anderson of Hemingford, Neb.; a brother, David McCann of Phoenix, Ariz.; and a sister-in-law, Sarah Helt (Paul), andbrother-in-law, Robert “Chug” Wilson (Joyce), of Iowa City.

Lucy was preceded in death by her parents, and husband, Tug.

Lucy continually thanked, and her family also wishes to thank, the many kind people who helped with her care during the final years of her life.

Online condolences may be sent for her family through the Web at .

Published in The Gazette Jan. 27, 2012