Remembering Paul Neil Wilson

November 6, 1954 – April 4, 2023

Paul Neil Wilson, 68, of Boyce Virginia, passed away Tuesday, April 4th at the Blue Ridge Hospice Inpatient Care Center in Winchester, Virginia, after a brief and valiant fight against cancer.

Paul was born November 6, 1954, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Karyn Treble Wilson, his mother Barbara Wilson of Ashburn, Va., brothers Daniel Wilson (Elizabeth)) of Sewickley, Penna., and Ben Wilson of Denver, Colo., and many nieces and nephews who cherished their Uncle Paul. His father Lee Wilson
predeceased him.

Paul grew up in Corning, New York. He was a proud graduate of Virginia Tech University, where he earned his BS in Finance and Economics. Paul began his career in finance with Corning Inc., in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he advanced to management, overseeing the manufacture of resistors and capacitors. He ultimately made a successful career change into the sale of electronic hardware while continuing at Corning. Paul completed his career in the Washington, D.C., area working with companies focused on defense and the space program.

Family and friendship were at the core of Paul’s life, and he found his true partner in Karyn. After dating for six years, they married in 1985 and made their home in Fairfax. Longing for space in the countryside, they purchased a farm in Purcellville in 1999 and operated a thriving equestrian business. Paul was an avid fox hunter and a Master of Fox Hounds (MFH) for both the Fairfax Hunt in 2003 and the Loudoun Fairfax Hunt following a merger in 2011. After Paul retired as MFH in 2019, he and Karyn moved west to Boyce where they joined the Blue Ridge Hunt in 2020. They purchased their dream farm in prime hunt country in 2022.

Paul possessed a deep affinity for music. He was an accomplished guitarist. In his teenage years, he played guitar for the rock band Dakota in Corning from 1970 to 1974. The band quickly gained popularity with an extensive touring schedule that included playing as a back-up band for Blue Oyster Cult. Paul found refuge in music and played his guitar daily. He was often seen happily driving through the Virginia countryside in his 2017 Grand Sport Corvette, with his favorite music playing.

Paul never met a stranger, and his warm, affable demeanor made all who were fortunate enough to be around him feel as they were the most important person in the world. He delighted in his friendships, never took
himself too seriously, and was always a light in dark places for so many. His loss is enormous for those who knew him, but what joy there is in having had the privilege.

A memorial service will be held on Friday May 5 at 11am at Christ Church, 809 Bishop Meade Road, Millwood, Va., followed by a hunt country tailgate reception at their farm in Boyce. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to Blue Ridge Hospice at brhhospice.org.