Rodney David Wilson

Rodney David Wilson (91), simply known as Ben, of Nichols Hills, Oklahoma passed away peacefully at Integris Hospice House on the 16th of September 2025. Ben was born in Little Baddow, Essex, UK on the 12th of December 1933. He was the only son of Clifford and Joan Wilson.

After school and working as an apprentice steeplechase jockey in Middleham, he attended Sandhurst Military Academy where he continued to ride. In his first ride, aged 17, he won. The cup was presented by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. After graduation Ben was a tank commander with the 6th dragoon, 3rd Cabineers regiment. He was stationed in Osnabruck, Germany and did a short tour in Aiden at the end of the crisis in 1956.

After the military, Ben became a civil engineer and married Alison, with whom he had a daughter, Laura Jane. He was divorced and estranged from them. Soon after he married Susan Mander and had children Fiona, Chelsea and Simon.

Ben considered his sobriety date as 12th of December 1970, after a short interval at Her Majesty's convenience in Oxford jail. He became an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous from then on.

Ben divorced Susan, and moved to Sacramento California in 1976, after falling in love with the fellowship of AA in California. He started a construction company and many AA groups. He married Grady O’Hara, and they worked together to build that company. After his divorce from Grady, Ben and Chelsea moved to Oklahoma, Ben quickly returned to the bay area where he became a real estate broker. There he married and later divorced. He finally made his home in Oklahoma to be closer to Chelsea and her family.

The greatest achievement of Ben’s life was working with other alcoholics, and he did this right to the end. His sponsees, or pigeons as he called them, were his life’s work. He never turned down a 12th step call and many a drunk was in the back of his jaguar, going to a meeting. He was proud to have carried the message to his own family, including his sister Caroline and niece Harriet. He was an eloquent speaker and travelled to many places to carry on the work.

Ben passed away peacefully, still sober, on 16th of September with daughter Chelsea beside him. He is predeceased by parents, Clifford and Joan and sister Caroline; ex-wives Susan Severne, Grady O’Hara. He is survived by ex-wife Alison Hanson; children Laura Jane and Ed Macloch, Fiona and Tim Rawlinson, Chelsea Foo, Simon and Leah Wilson; grandchildren Sarah and Matt Fairweather, Christopher Fickess and Kinsey Watts, James Rowlands, Emma Foo, Daisy and Massam Rai, Rosie Dean and Jasmine Foo; and 5 great grandchildren.

Services to be held on September 27th at 2:00 p.m. at St John's Episcopal Church, Oklahoma City 73112 with refreshments and fellowship to follow at The Western Club 5707 N. Western Avenue, Oklahoma City, 73118.

If you are a friend of Bill W we suggest instead of flowers a gift to the AA world service office. If you are other family or friends we suggest a donation to TEEM