Calby Bruce Wilson, age 74, of Rising Star, Texas passed away at his home on Friday, January 14, 2022, following a lengthy illness.
Visitation will be held from 5 till 7 PM, Saturday, January 15, 2022, at Heartland Funeral Home in Early, TX. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 AM, Monday, January 17, 2022, at East Hill Cemetery in Fort Stockton.
Bruce was born in Pecos, Texas on January 31, 1947, the second of four children, to Calby Clifton Wilson and Rose Pauline Wilson. The family moved from Pecos to Coyonosa, Texas when Bruce was 3 years old. Bruce attended school in Imperial through the 6th grade, then completed his schooling in Fort Stockton. He went to work for the Pecos County Sheriff’s Department in January 1968 as a deputy in the Coyonosa area. In 1969 he began working in the Imperial area as well. On December 13, 1969, he married Martha Pounds Crocker in Grandfalls, Texas.
In 1984, Bruce was elected sheriff on a write-in ticket and won by a landslide. He served as sheriff until his retirement in December 2000 and never drew an opponent during that time. As sheriff, he was instrumental in solving several high-profile crimes and in apprehending the criminals.
His first love was being a cowboy. He much preferred being horseback and working cattle, to sitting in his patrol car.
In 2005, he began working for D. R. Horton, managing both, a 95-section, and a 45-section ranch in eastern Pecos County. As the expression goes, he didn’t have any back-up in him. If there was a job that needed to be tackled, he was the first in line to take care of it.
He retired a second time in May of 2010. At that time, he and his second wife Kay, moved to the Rising Star area. In addition to traveling, they also became active members of Believers Fellowship Church in Cross Plains and assisted in building the church’s fellowship hall.
During his life, Bruce was a member of the Texas Sheriff’s Association, served as a board member for the Imperial School District, and a member of the First Christian Church in Ft. Stockton.
Bruce is survived by his wife Kay of Rising Star, a brother and his wife, JC and Shirley Wilson of Seven Points, Texas; two sisters and a brothers-in-law, Polly Sue and Larry Hunt of Grandfalls, and Ruthie Andrews of McCamey; two stepsons: David and wife, Cynthia Crocker of Calhoun City, MS, and Scooter Handley of Mesa, AZ; three stepdaughters: Patricia and Jerry Vance of Vardaman, MS, Angie McCoy of Austin, and Adrena Gilbert of Livingston; four step-grandsons: Jay Vanlandingham, Zack McCoy, Chase Gilbert and Calby Crocker; seven step-granddaughters: Candace Box, Machelle Denley, Lexy McCoy, Alyssa Tolar, Alex McCoy, Carissa and Christa Crocker; nine great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Calby and Polly Wilson, his first wife Martha, and two stepsons: Donald and Tommy Crocker.
Honorary Pallbearers are T. J. Perkins, Tulon Murphy, Todd Hunt, Larry Hunt, Blaine Hunt, Brandt Burleson, Blake Burleson and Lanny Skelton.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to your local hospice or to West Texas Rehabilitation.
Condolences, memories, and tributes can be offered to the Wilson family online at heartlandfuneralhome.net.