This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Author: sgs14 Surnames: Classification: obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.washington.counties.king/3125.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: The Seattle Daily Times Saturday, September 21, 1940 Deaths Wilson, Gladys, 1014 Minor Avenue, 70, September 18. The Seattle Times Friday, January 22, 1971 W.R. Wilson, former U.W. prof, dies At his request there were no services for William R. Wilson, 76, formerly of 4710 University Way Northeast, Psychology Professor at the University of Washington 41 years. He died Wednesday. The Bleitz Funeral Home will direct cremation. A native of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Mr. Wilson came here in 1914. He graduated from the University of Washington and served in the Army during World War I as a psychologist. He began teaching at the University of Washington in 1919 and late received his Master's degree in Psychology. After receiving his Ph.D., Mr. Wilson taught at Ohio State University five years. He returned to the University of Washington in 1930. During World War II he was a civilian psychologist for the Army. He served on the University of Washington Faculty Senate and Disciplinary Board. He retired in 1965. Mr. Wilson was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Sigmi Xi, an honorary scientific society. Surviving are two brothers, Dr. Gale E. Wilson, King County Medical Examiner and Donald Wilson of New York City. The Seattle Times Sunday, February 15, 1987 Gale Wilson, Ex-County Coroner, Dies In the 38 years that Dr. Gale E. Wilson was King County's autopsy surgeon and later its medical examiner, he performed almost 18,000 autopsies, testified in hundreds of court cases, solved numerous murders and lobbied the county to update the medical examiner's facilities Wilson died yesterday at a Seattle nursing home. He was 81 years old and at his request there will be no services. In one murder case, which Wilson called the Case of the Snow-White Sheet, a husband beat his wife to death and then went to his office where he pretended to talk with her over the phone, saying he was coming home for lunch. At noon, the man called police to report his wife's death, but had covered her body with a sheet. When Wilson investigated the case, he discovered there were no blood stains on the sheet, meaning the woman had been dead for some time. It would have been impossible for the husband to talk to her from his office; he was convicted of the murder. Shortly before retiring from the Office of County Medical Examiner, Wilson made another of several attempts to get King County to buy new equipment. The two autopsy tables had been there as long as he had, so when Wilson saw a newspaper advertisement for an antique horse-drawn hearse, he sent the ad to King County Executive John Spellman, suggesting the county buy the hearse to update the Medical Examiner's Department. Wilson retired in April 1973. He served first as Autopsy Surgeon in 1935, then County Coroner and when that office was abolished by the new county charter, as County Medical Examiner. Born in Seattle, Wilson graduated from Lincoln High School and the University of Washington. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School where he was a member of the Boylston Society. While a student at Harvard, Wilson became interested in forensic medicine after working as an assistant pathologist to help pay school bills. After graduation, he moved back to Seattle and took the job with the county while trying to establish his practice as a surgeon. Except for a stint as a flight surgeon during World War II, Wilson devoted his life to forensic medicine. During his career with the county, Wilson kept an up-to-date log of the autopsies he had performed in a black pocket book that he would bring to court. He was called as a witness in more than 3,000 cases and became a medical-expert witness after his retirement. He was known for his wry sense of humor and kept his office, which he called ''my museum,'' filled with such things as eight skulls - one with a bullet hole in it, jars of gallstones, thousands of pill bottles and other suicide weapons, including a pair of pliers a man used to hold a razor blade while he slashed himself to death. The man used the pliers because he was afraid of cutting his fingers, Wilson would tell visitors. Wilson is survived by his wife, Lois Carroll Wilson; two daughters, Lois Hoy of Oakland and Leanne Wilson Beane of Bellevue. The family suggests donations to the cancer research program at Virginia Mason Hospital. Important Note: The author of this message may not be subscribed to this list. If you would like to reply to them, please click on the Message Board URL link above and respond on the board.