David Alan Wilson

David Alan Wilson, age 79, passed away on July 6, 2016. A native of Oregon, he had made his home in Sylva since 2008. David was born in Oregon City, he attended Willamette University and graduated from Oregon State University. He engaged in graduate studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and received his doctorate in Botany from the University of Costa Rica where he lived and taught. David loved the hills and mountains of Oregon, Costa Rica, and Western Carolina. An avid hiker, he spent many hours exploring the flora of his surroundings. He is survived by his wife of fifty-four years, Donna; his daughter, Lisa M. Carley of West Palm Beach, Fla; his son, Jeffrey A. Wilson, also of West Palm Beach. He has three grandchildren: Christopher Wilson, Ashley Hamann, and Logan Carley; and one great-grandchild, Zoie H. Hamann. . .