Eric "Rick" Wilson

Eric Merrill Wilson passed away peacefully on April 17, 2024 while at home surrounded by family. He was 71 years old and known for his kind and gentle demeanor. His love for the Lord anchored a life defined by strength and determination in what he believed was important.

Rick grew up in Durham, NC in the shadow of Duke University where his father, Tom, was a professor. His mother, Nancy, was a brilliant woman who passed down a love for engineering to all three of her sons.

From the time he was a young boy, Rick had a passion for trains. Anyone who took a road trip with Rick for any distance knows his famous ‘short cut’ of driving by the train tracks – prolonging the transit time but more importantly, enhancing the experience and highlighting his love for trains. His path initially led him to Boston where he attended Harvard University for an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and an MBA. He subsequently moved to Oregon to begin his lifelong railroad profession with Southern Pacific. From there, the tracks took him to San Francisco, Denver, and eventually Omaha where he finished out his career with Union Pacific as General Director of Capacity & Infrastructure Planning.  

As much as Rick loved the rail, his life was marked far more by love for his family. He and Suzanne met in Boston and eventually married in Durham in 1981. They had three children, and the family fondly remembers numerous road trips, riding trains in Europe, camping in Maine, and Dad never missing a kids’ sporting event. He will always be remembered as ‘the best of men.’

The last seven years of Rick’s life have involved a progressive battle with a Parkinson-Plus Syndrome. And while these years have brought many trials, his life was defined not by disease but by grace. In the midst of a failing body, that profound grace was constantly on display in the way Rick related to all those around him. His quiet strength, positivity, and peace in the midst of struggle were such an uncommon but beautiful witness to who he was. He never once complained about a body that was slowly failing him. His response: “This is the day that the Lord has made.”

Rick is survived by his wife, Suzanne, and their three children: Shannon (Matt), Jennifer, and Patrick. Brothers: Tommy (Jane) and Andy (Phyllis). Foster brothers: Linh (Dang) and Tien. Grandchildren: Madelyn, Eric, Oliver, Hailey, and Jackson.

Visitation will be Tuesday, April 23 from 5 – 7 pm. Funeral will be Wednesday, April 24 at 1 pm. Both will be held at Citylight West Church (3401 Oak View Drive, Omaha, NE).

Donations may be sent in Rick’s memory to Heartland Neurological Therapy & Wellness Center (checks made to PDWELL) – a local Parkinson’s resource center. Flowers may be sent to Good Shepherd Funeral & Cremation Services in Omaha, NE.