Wilson W. Cross ’51

Wilson W. Cross ’51 died in Roslindale, Massachusetts, on September 6, 2017. He was widely admired as an unusually thoughtful intellectual with an unquenchable curiosity about all things, people and ideas. Among his greatest interests, Wilson was an avid and accomplished sailor. At Dartmouth he was a member of the Corinthian Yacht Club and captain of the sailing team. He competed extensively in ocean racing, participating in numerous world championship regattas. He was also a master boat model craftsman, creating detailed models of many of the boats on which he sailed. Wilson was a 15-year board member of the Bernard Van Leer Foundation, the largest charity in the world supporting early childhood education, especially for disadvantaged youth. In this role he frequently volunteered to make site visits all over the world. His proposals for early interventions in Israel and Zimbabwe reflected his preference for first-hand information, his search for common ground and his thoughtful, practical, measured-action approach. Other strong interests included a love of history, geography, the English language, Formula One racing and politics. Wilson was born in London and came to the United States soon after the outbreak of World War II. After graduating from Dartmouth and the Tuck School he joined Keyes Fibre Co., ultimately becoming its president. He was later the owner of Essex Machine Works, which performed custom machining, especially for the marine industry. Wilson was predeceased by his wife, Martha. He is survived by two sons, two stepchildren and four grandchildren.