Joan Wilson

They used to say that “behind every great man is a great woman”. I think in these PC days we need to replace the word “behind” with “beside”.

In any event, beside Gordon Wilson (see my last post) was his wife Joan. And she is obviously a fabulous person too.

Alf McCreary (who wrote the book about Marie with Gordon and later wrote his biography) interviewed Joan to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Enniskillen bomb and the killing of Marie. You can read it here.

She talks about Marie’s death, and the subsequent deaths of her son Peter and of Gordon himself.

Like Gordon, she is clearly a deeply religious person.

She says the following of her life since Marie’s passing:

“I have been spared by God for these 30 years since Marie’s death, and for whatever time I have left I want to make the most of each day – to appreciate the beauty of a flower or the power of the sea and all of nature, and I want to try to bring help and comfort to as many people as I can.”

And of Marie she says the following:

I still think of Marie as my bright, rebellious and deeply loving daughter. I know we will meet again some day. I think we both deserve that, and I am convinced that it will happen through the power and strength of God Almighty. That will be a wonderful day for both of us.”

I sincerely hope that she is right.

Here is Joan holding a picture of her daughter:

© picture by John McVitty, Enniskillen, Co.Fermanagh, N. Ireland – 07771987378 ©
Mrs Joan Wilson with a picture of her late daughter Marie.