Gladys V. “Tommey” Wilson

ATHENS - Gladys V. "Tommey" Wilson, 97, died peacefully in the early morning on Friday, April 29, 2022. Born, April 28, 1925, in The Plains, she was the daughter of the late Roscoe and Nettie Anderson Shields.
She attended school in The Plains and was an Athens High School graduate. Over the years she raised her children and doted on her grandchildren and great-grandchild. She worked in Logan's bookstore, Belks Department Store, then in food service for Athens City Schools. She found great joy in feeding everyone delicious food and lots of it! She was a member of the First Families of Athens, the Silver Sneakers line dancers, the Athens American Legion Post 21, and the First United Methodist Church. She taught her family the importance of being tolerant, kind and civically engaged and volunteered at the polls for many years.
She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Barry and Belva Wilson of Hilton Head Island, S.C., three grandchildren, Ashley Ferguson (Kelly Sanders) of Atlanta, G.A., Eric Ferguson of Statesboro, G.A., and Megan Wilson (Garrett Millsap) of Birmingham, A.L., one great-grandchild, Declan, and numerous close friends whom she loved like family, including Stevie and Bill Wooddell and Christie Luehrman. She has been blessed with many wonderful neighbors and friends who have kept in close contact bringing news, meals, flowers and friendship. She loved every one of them.
Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Carl R. "Swat" Wilson, a son, Robert Wilson, a daughter, Star Ferguson, and six brothers, Lawrence, Delbert, Collin, Robert, Herbert and Jackie Shields.
Humor, serenity, and fortitude defined Tommey's personality. She just happily celebrated her 97th birthday the day before she passed with visits and calls from family and friends wishing her well. She was blessed with good health for most of her long and joyful life which afforded her the opportunity to travel often to spend time with her family, which is what she loved most. Recently, when travel was not possible, she learned to send text messages and shared funny and kind notes with her son, grandchildren and great-grandchild daily, always punctuated with emojis and sent with love.
She loved line dancing, shopping, lunching with friends and planting spring flowers at the farm. She always had on a cute outfit and the perfect shade of lipstick. She was easily recognizable in her "hat of the day" and seldom ran even an errand without a hat on. Family, friends, doctors and nurses all knew her to be a remarkable woman and many told her how remarkable she was. It always made her smile.
Services will be held Tuesday at 1PM at First United Methodist Church, followed by burial in the West Union Street Cemetery. In celebration of Tommey's vibrant and remarkable life, we welcome attendees to wear bright Spring colors to the funeral. Ladies, don't forget your lipstick! A visitation will be held from 4PM-7PM on Monday, May 2, at the Hughes-Moquin Funeral Home. You may send the family a message of sympathy or a private condolence at www.hughesmoquinfuneralhome.com.