Dean Wilson Family

This weekend, September 30-October 1, 2006 is the Jeff Wilson Memorial Regatta at Bakersfield.

I don't know how to start to talk about the Wilson's, except to say they were and are a Boat Racing Family.

I first met Dean Wilson when he came to California, maybe 1980, he had four boys and a bunch of boats....He was a friend of Larry Lotta's and I thought I knew Larry Lotta, so, I assumed I knew the Wilson's.

There was Jo Ann, Dean Sr., Dean, Jr. Jeff, Brian, and Steve.... Four boys..

Seems Dean got a Christmas Bonus and bought all four boys a new Yamato 80...I thought that was cool.... as Tom Ige was trying to promote Boat Racing with the Yamato.

After riding out to a boat club meeting at my uncles's club house (Home Owner's ***.)... I asked Dean if any of his boys might like to work for me as I had quite a bit of prop work to do...(My shop was in my garage)...Dean said, Jeff would be the one to hire....At that time I didn't know one boy from the other...

Jeff was 15 and couldn't drive, Dean dropped Jeff off, in the mornings on his way to work....I have no clue what I paid Jeff, as it was cash and carry...Jeff worked for me for seven years...

When my wife threw us out of the garage, Jeff went with us to the new shop. Jeff became my right hand man and like a son to me. He had a good eye for propellers and seemed to love them like I did.

I frequently adopted many cats from NEEDLES..REAL CATS, and I remember making Jeff take a cat home with him...Jeff had a big heart, his money was always his brothers money...He fixed his car up cool... Ross the Boss even worked for us, (AT BELOW MINIMUM WAGE) and brother Brian also worked for us....

One February, when Jeff was a GREAT WRESTLER, he had a day off school, and we discussed if we should work or fart around, we decided to work.....Jeff cut his finger on a prop and needed stitches...When he wrestled in CIF, his bandaged finger cost him a CIF TITLE....I felt bad about it at the time, and still feel bad....I don't feel bad about paying Ross less than minimum wage because......

Ted March, my partner here on BRF, called me from Chicago and said he had 10,000 propellers that were for sale for $10,000....Rumored to be from Joe Micallini's shop...WHO KNOWS, BUT I BOUGHT THEM ALL AND HAD THEM DELIVERED to California...

I paid $10,000 for the props and the first month I had them in California I sold $34,000 worth of them... I paid Jeff well, I thought, he took time off in the summers and went racing with Phil Stock's K Boat...

Jeff turned 22, and one of my MOD VP customers offered him a job in Phoenix and Jeff took it...When Jeff left, I was like totally depressed...I felt I had lost a SON...

After a bad car accident in Phoenix, Jeff return to SoCAl and opened his own prop shop called Leading Edge... JEFF HAD A BIG FOLLOWING OF PROPELLER CUSTOMERS. I EVEN HAD HIM DOING MY "RACING PROPS"...as I had no time and he was good at doing what I wanted...Jeff also worked for Doc Collins, Fred Bowden....you name them.....

I was at the Miami Boat show, about 14 years ago, and John Castelli called me, and he didn't call collect, he just said, Jeff Wilson was killed in a car accident...the details don't matter, but they were on their way to Vic Brinkaman's in Michigan, to pick up a 45 SS tunnel and they rolled the car...Jeff was killed...

When Jeff had returned from Phoenix, we had talked, I told him I realized he was an adult, I told him how much I had enjoyed working with him for seven years....I told him I wanted him to do all my race props as my eyes where not what they once were...Jeff had done $500 worth of work the week we'd left for Miami.....

Jeff was a "CLASS ACT" the Wilson Family are A LOYAL BOAT RACING FAMILY.. I hope Dean Jr., Brian or Steve will post some family pictures...as both Dean Sr. and JoAnn Wilson have passed on...

So, this weekend, at Bakerfield, if you hear Jeff Wilson's name, maybe you'll remember that Jeff Wilson was one great propeller bender..who had a very soft heart...He still had that cat, I had given him, when he died...

Add: I work for Rancho Santiago College and have for 18 years...My boss, until this summer was Phil Stock's ex wife ...(Phil Stock was principal of Orange High School for years, and was/is a great engine bulider)..

The night of Jeff's funeral, I was talking to my boss at Rancho and telling her I had to go to a funeral...She said, I have to go to "Woody's" furneral...Well, we both ended up at the same funeral...I had known Jeff since he was 15 AND NEVER CALLED HIM WOODY, SHE HAD KNOWN JEFF SINCE HE WAS 15 AND ALWAYS CALLED HIM WOODY...Small world, my boss's kids had been Jeff's best friends, for years...

i think of jeff every day. jeff is like a big brother to me and my biggest subporter. i ran jeff props on my sport c. steve is my best friend. dean sr was like a grandpa to me. because i don't know my real grandpa. mrs wilson was my boat racing mom. mom wilson made sure me and my dad ate and took good care of me. i miss jeff, dean sr and mom wilson. i want to thanks jeff 4 everything he done 4 me. vice subport and his friendship.

kevin curtis

I've posted this picture on BRF several times, but wanted to point out Jeff Wilson walking on the other side of my boat.

We I first got a chance to race and have my own boat, Chuck Styers of Bullhead City (Mod-VP driver) introduced me to Jeff Wilson. Jeff was doing the props of one of my AZ competitors (Jason Campbell) and they were having very good results.

In this picture, my co-driver Kristi and I had just finished a 5 hour enduro in Parker. I drove the last hour and had a heck of a time controlling the wheel the entire time. After I got out of the boat (and getting 4th place overall out of 50+ boats) Jeff Wilson came up and looked at my prop. While Kristi and I were laughing and celebrating, he said sternly, "VALERIE! Come look at your prop!!!"

I walked to the back to find the edges peeled back! We had no idea!

I only had four days before the Havasu Classic, and that was the ONLY prop I had. Jeff took the wheel off my boat and told me he'd meet me in Havasu on Thanksgiving with my repaired prop.

And sure enough --- he was there! Unfortunately, that was the race where my motor fell off and my sharp nosecone stuck into the right sponson -- everything was mangled and I didn't race again for quite some time. But my prop made it through!

Since my Kober Kat was beat up and out of date, Chuck Styers began telling me about a new boat company in Texas that was kicking butt, and suggested I purchase one of these "Mirage Tom Cats". Chuck had bought a Mirage Mod-VP, and I really liked the way it looked.

Jason Campbell had already bought a Tom Cat and when the Millers in Boulder City, Nev beat me with their pretty new Tom Cat at Big Bear, I was sold. I traded my old Kober Kat/trailer to Jimmy Johnson for getting my new Tom Cat rigged and my old motor fixed up and modified. With the modifications, I could not use my old LEADING EDGE propeller anymore, and I ended up borrowing props from my adopted new team - Johnson Racing.

Jeff always took the time to take care of me --- and I was really surprised to see him immediately after pulling the boat up on the trailer that day in Parker -- I wonder if he could tell that there was something wrong from the beach?

After getting the Tom Cat and modified motor (and were using 2.5 liter hydro props), Jeff and I sort of lost touch. But I sure was sad to hear about his death. :(

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