Zachary Stockwell Wilson

Zachary Stockwell Wilson died last week, at his home in Chicago, after an undiagnosed illness. He was 26 years old.  He is survived by his loving parents Richard Wilson and Lara Stockwell Wilson of Cuyahoga Falls, OH, his older sister Bee Wilson of Cleveland (Angelique Gates), his grandmother Christine Stockwell of Sylvania, and his great grandparents Bill and Betty McKarns of Bryan, along with many aunts, uncles, and cousins.  He was preceded in death by grandparents John Stockwell and Henry and Ellen Wilson. 

Zach was born on a warm and sunny day, November 7th, 1994 at The Birth Center in Wilmington, Delaware, on a beautiful, tree lined residential street. When he was 16 years old the family visited Delaware and took Zach to see where he had been born. His response was “A house!? I was born in a house!?” His incredulous response is a favorite family story.

Zach was a graduate of Revere High School class of 2013.  He excelled academically and athletically, holding starting positions on both offense and defense for the Revere Minutemen Football team, as well as participating in Varsity Track & Field events.  He was a valued member of the Revere Science Olympiad team, as well as a member of the Junior Engineering Technical Society team which advanced to national competition. 

He was a 2018 graduate of Miami University with triple majors in Finance, Economics, and Data Analytics, and a proud member of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity.  A close friend of Zach’s says that he was so loved because of how kind, gentle, and loyal he was to his friends.

Zach moved to Chicago after graduation to start his career as a Consultant with Deloitte and then as a Financial Services Representative with Merrill Lynch.

Among his many endearing qualities and characteristics, Zach was known for wearing shorts year-round. In his neighborhood, he could be seen snow-blowing his driveway in shorts and a t-shirt. He was strong in his beliefs and could challenge anyone in the room intellectually over any type of debate. His fun-loving nature made people just want to be around him.

Zach loved to cook, especially for his friends. Coq au vin and Porchetta were some of his favorites, and he regularly called home for family recipes. He enjoyed art museums, the Cleveland Orchestra, and going to plays. He was an avid sports fan, and his favorite team was the Cleveland Browns. Zach was a true Renaissance man.

His generous spirit was always present - lending a hand to flip burgers at a graduation party, setting up his dad’s equipment for a music gig, or volunteering at the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. Zach could light up a room with his handsome smile and genuine presence.

A private service will be held for immediate family, with a celebration of Zach’s life planned for friends and family in late June.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider a donation to Youth Challenge Sports at www.youthchallengesports.com or send a check in memory of Zach Wilson to Youth Challenge Sports, 800 Sharon Drive Westlake, OH 44145.

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