Maurice Houston Wilson, of Springfield, Virginia, died the morning of Monday, August 23, 2021, after a long battle with brain cancer. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, on May 20,1943, the son of Houston Dalhouse Wilson and Dorothy Mildred (Orr) Wilson, Maurice grew up in Raytown, Missouri, where he attended the public schools and graduated from Raytown High School in 1961. During his high school years he played French horn in the school band and was a member of the Boy Scouts of America, the Methodist Youth Fellowship, and the Order of DeMolay. Maurice enrolled at Central Methodist College in Fayette, Missouri, where he excelled at playing the French horn in the Concert Band and was a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Beta Sigma, a local fraternity. His senior year, Maurice was president of Beta Sigma. He graduated in 1965 with a degree in Political Science. After a year in law school at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Maurice began work at the Social Security Administration. In 1967, he met, fell in love with, and married Stephanie Lynne Selover. After nearly 25 years of marriage, they separated in 1992 and later divorced. Also in 1967, he was drafted into the United States Army, and served honorably with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam, where he earned a Bronze Star and rose to the rank of Sergeant. After an Honorable Discharge in 1969, Maurice returned to work for the Social Security Administration, working at the Kansas City Regional Office until 1990, when he transferred to Social Security’s Office of Hearings and Appeals Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia. Maurice was an early adopter of and enthusiastic advocate for information technology, eventually overseeing the IT support network for OHA”s 10,000 employees. He retired in 2011 after 43 years of Federal service. Maurice was a lifelong United Methodist and a member of Messiah United Methodist Church in Springfield, where he served as Treasurer; sang in the choir, including at the Washington National Cathedral; and was a frequent volunteer for tasks large and small. He loved the outdoors, tending to his flower and vegetable gardens, watching birds at his feeders, and hiking in Prince William Forest. Maurice was a loving father and grandfather, always available for advice, to lend a helping hand, and to share a meal. He is survived by daughters Heather Lynne (Norm) Edwards of Alexandria, Virginia; and Laura Elizabeth (James) Duenzl, of Lewisville,Texas; son Matthew Maurice Wilson of Baltimore; two cherished granddaughters, and sister Diane (Murray) Blackwelder of Parkville, Missouri. Friends and family are invited to a funeral service at Messiah United Methodist Church in Springfield, at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 14, 2021. Maurice’s ashes will be inurned at the columbarium at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Donations may be given in his memory to the Maurice Wilson Hall of Sponsors Endowment at Central Methodist University or to Messiah United Methodist Church in Springfield.
