Bernard John Wilson

Bernard J. Wilson, age 70, of Brentwood, Tennessee, passed away on June 14, 2023, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Bernie was born in Preston, England to William Joseph Wilson and Jenny Josephine Bowman on Jan 19, 1953. He married Diane Wilson on Feb 12, 1977, at the San Fernando Mission in Granada Hills. He served in the United States Army. For over 30 years, Bernie worked for the Los Angeles law enforcement; 26 of those years were spent at the Los Angeles International Airport Police Department. He quickly rose through the ranks which culminated in his becoming the Chief of Police. He was active in Civil Air Patrol for over 50 years. He served as a Subdeacon of the Orthodox Church of America. His proudest achievement was when he was accorded a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Bernie is preceded in death by his son, Martin; parents, William and Jenny Wilson; in-laws, Rosemary and Robert Peat; brothers-in-law, Jeff Cox, Randal and Richard Peat, and Melvin Sheldon.

Bernie is survived by his wife, Diane of 46 years; his 3 children, Victoria, Nicholas, and Stephen; siblings Robert Wilson (Cheryl) and Jennifer Cox; nieces, Sarah and Edith; nephews, William, Patrick, Robert, Richard, and Michael; cousins both in England and Ireland, as well as numerous God children.

Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 pm, June 20, 2023, at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home, 3009 Columbia Ave Franklin, TN, 37064.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am at St. Ignatius Orthodox Church, 3535 St. Ignatius Lane, Franklin, TN 37064. Burial will follow at the St. Ignatius cemetery.

A Celebration of Life will be held in Los Angeles, CA in October. Details will be shared and posted at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations be made to Officer Down, a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring America’s fallen law enforcement officers and their families (www.odmp.org) and/or your favorite charity.

The family’s wishes are for you to please share your favorite story or photo of Bernie, that can be shared at his celebration of life in October.