Former NJ Devil and Pittsburgh Penguin Mitch Wilson passed away after battling ALS.
From his Facebook page:
“Friends of Mitch Wilson, it is with deep sorrow to inform you that Mitch passed peacefully at his home along the Hood Canal in Brinnon, WA on May 18, 2019. His father, stepmother & caregiver Christina, were at his side.
Thank you to everyone for your support through this difficult time. Mitch fought this battle the best he knew how & did so with courage.
When the family decides on funeral arrangements we will post an update to his ALS site & personal page.”
John Mitchell Wilson
1962-2019
NHL veteran, commercial tugboat captain, and outdoorsman Mitch Wilson passed away quietly in his sleep, Saturday, May 18, at his home in Brinnon, Wash. following a courageous battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 57.
John Mitchell Wilson was born on February 15, 1962 in Calgary, Alberta. At an early age the family moved to his hometown of Kelowna, B.C. where his father John helped him nurture a passion for ice hockey at the local rink. Growing up in British Columbia's Okanagan, Wilson also developed a love for the solitude of the outdoors - fishing, hunting, hiking and making four-wheel trips on remote wilderness roads.
Despite the odds, and listed on most rosters at just 5-9, but a stout 190 pounds, Wilson pursued his passion for hockey, learning and perfecting the game, applying his trademark street smarts and Bulldog determination to be just a little smarter, a little tougher than the other boys on the ice.
Following graduation from Okanagan Mission Secondary School in 1980 and two years with the local Buckaroos of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League, Wilson earned his way into the WHL, traveling down to the states to play for the Seattle Breakers - a team that struggled to win.
His fierce, bump and grind style eventually caught the attention of the professional scouts sitting high in corners of the old Seattle Center Arena. It was an era where tough, physical and unrelenting play opened doors. For Wilson, that included the boyhood dream of playing in the NHL. His professional career included games with the Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils. During a 12-year career, he reached the post season seven times and amassed more than 200 penalty minutes eight times during stints with the Wichita Wind, Maine Mariners, Baltimore Skipjacks, Muskegon Lumberjacks, Louisville Icehawks, San Diego Gulls, Fresno Falcons and Las Vegas Aces.
Following retirement from hockey in 1995, Wilson returned to the Seattle area and eventually pursued a career in the maritime trades, which he grew to love along with spending time with his longtime partner Collete Russell in their home overlooking Hood Canal in Brinnon, Wash.
Wilson loved the outdoors. Hunting and fishing near property on the Bogashiel River that he had purchased with the savings from his playing years, was nearby. And he always looked forward to his Sunday phone conversation with his "Mum" Vanna.
Beginning with Island Tug and Barge, Wilson cut his teeth at sea as an Ordinary Seaman before earning his Able Bodied license, which qualified him for greater responsibility on tugs and other commercial craft.
Rising through the ranks with Island Tug and Barge, Western Towboat Co., Salmon Bay Barge Line and others, Wilson eventually earned a Master Captain's License qualifying him to pilot 100-ton commercial vessels.
He talked often about trips up and down the Pacific Coast, to Hawaii and especially the many trips along Vancouver Island, through the Johnstone Straight, past Port Hardy and Ripple Rock and into Alaska's inside passage and the Bearing Sea.
Following his 2014 diagnosis with ALS, Wilson fought courageously to keep the progressive neurodegenerative disease at bay.
With the support of the late Kurt Walker, a former Toronto Maple Leafs player and his organization, Dignity After Hockey, along with Kandace Stoltz at Premier Regenerative Stem Cell and Wellness Centers, Wilson became relentless in his understanding of ALS and pursuit of treatment. Wilson also traveled to Mexico and Thailand with good friend Jake Goertzen and friend and caregiver Debra Howard, in the pursuit of innovative and often experimental medical procedures. Wilson found hope and often relief from the struggles of ALS, defying the statistics and odds. He didn't back down.
Wilson is survived by his mother Vanna Wison (Ray) of Kelowna, B.C., father John Wilson and stepmother Darlene of Fruitvale, B.C., who followed Wilson throughout his hockey career, rarely missing a game and later becoming caregivers of Wilson themselves. Sister Karen Brost of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, brother Wayne Wilson of Salmo, B.C., step-sister Tricia Lonsdale of Gemseg, New Brunswick, and step-brother Scott Nuttall of Port Coquitlam, B.C. Along with friends Jason Russell and Steve and Linda Curran all of Brinnon, WA,
He was preceded in death in 2014 by partner, Collete Russell.
A celebration of life is being planned this summer near his home in Brinnon,Washington
Despite having ALS, Wilson wanted to help other Hockey players in need. Remembrances can be made to
Premier Regenerative Stem Cell and Wellness Centers, where 21 players are currently on a wait list for treatment.
5451 Dripping Rock Lane, G104
Fort Collins, Colorado 80528
OR
www.venmo.com/Kandace-Premier-Fund
