Carol Wilson

Feb 20, 2022

Carol Wilson passed away on Feb. 20, 2022, at almost 86, in Tucson, Ariz. She is survived by her son and grandson, Jeff and Alex Peterson, and by the extended family of her late husband Joseph Wilson, whose children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, in-laws and more all grieve for the hole she leaves in our lives. She is survived also by legions of very dear friends, for she was a woman who loved warmly and was loved in return.

Carol Jean Blakey was born in Blackriver Falls, Wis. She spent the majority of her adult life working as a nurse in Anchorage, Alaska, arriving just in time to experience the geologic charms of the 1964 earthquake. She was an operating room nurse and then OR supervisor at the Alaska Native Medical Center for over 30 years. There she established a culture of excellence through her calm, gentle and open leadership. She insisted on friendly relationships among the staff and was quick to admonish a bully. She made everyone feel like a valuable member of the team, from the housekeeper to the chief of surgery. Consequently the OR staff were a uniquely joyful and friendly bunch, capable of taking on whatever surgical challenge came along with professional aplomb.

When Carol became a Wilson in '83 we thought "how lucky can Dad be?" And by extension, how grand for us all. This sentiment was shared by relatives across the continent. She stepped into her many new roles as easily as a fisherman slips on her XtraTufs. She became a crewmember for working "vacations" on the fishing boat, baiting thousands of hooks, setting miles of line, cleaning and packing several tons of halibut, and crawling around in the fish hold into the wee hours. If she was ever annoyed by the sore muscles and cheerful description of these vacations as "fun," she never let on.

She had a marvelous ability to improvise, as when she converted some ancient fish-eye tapioca into a truly stunning, never-to-be-forgotten "wedding cake" on Shuyak Island. When Bess's first birthday cake was devoured by a black bear, Carol came through with style, producing another fresh baked creation just in time for the party. She was uncanny in her ability to identify a need. She delivered chicken soup to harried medical residents and packed extra blankets for chilly travelers. One dare not casually mention a passing fancy to her lest it be delivered threefold at your next meeting.

After retiring from ANMC, she moved on to a comfortable life of … more surgery! in American Samoa, clinic nursing in St. Paul then Barrow, Alaska, commercial fishing in Prince William Sound and being the chosen matriarch for a whole pile of grubby Wilsons. When they finally tired of slipping on the ice, Joe and Carol made a winter home in the Sonoran desert of Tucson. There they fit in nicely with the local creatures of the feathered, furred and two-legged kind and Carol made forever friends with her celebrated dinners and warm hospitality.

She elevated those around her. She had a way of greeting everyone by name that positively dripped with affection, of making everyone feel at ease and of speaking with everyone with the warm light of her full attention. She never shied from lavishing compliments on the people she loved, both in their presence and to whomever else might be listening. She was not one to tolerate meanness or cruelty. Her insight was invaluable in untangling life's messes. She was fierce and independent and warm and kind, and we are at a loss.

A memorial gathering will be held on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, from 4-6 p.m. at the Fox Hollow Chalet, 11701 Brayton Drive in Anchorage.