James Philip Wilson

James Philip Wilson

James “Phil” Wilson, a good old Alabama boy through and through, passed away on July 20, 2026, following a short battle with cancer. He was 84 years old.

Raised in Parrish, AL, the son of James Carl Wilson and Cleazelle Bagwell Wilson, he carried his Alabama roots and Southern spirit with him his whole life, even during the years he resided in North Carolina and Colorado. By trade he was a mechanical engineer, and he built a long and steady career, but his real love for building things never clocked out. He was always happiest with his hands busy, fixing whatever needed fixing or turning a piece of wood into something worth keeping.

Some of his best days were spent out on Wolf Bay in Elberta, AL, soaking in the air and the company of his partner, Dilana Norman, and his beloved parrot, Murf, who never missed a trip to the bay.

Phil is survived by his daughter, Lisa Wilson Rossi, and her children, Ethan, Ella and Holden; his grandchildren Tucker and Reese, children of his late son Michael; his step children Rachel and Randy, children of his late wife Mary; and his brother, William T. Wilson, and his wife, Vivian Wilson, and their children, Tracy, Jennifer and Leigh. He was preceded in death by his sons, Scott Philip Wilson and Michael Philip Wilson and his second wife, Mary Dudley Wilson.

He will be remembered as a man who loved deeply and simply — Alabama football on Saturdays, a cold drink at sunset, quiet afternoons on the bay and the satisfaction of a job done right with his own two hands.

We toast him with a very fond farewell and a resounding “Roll Tide!”