Thomas Zvi Wilson

Thomas Zvi Wilson, 80, died after a long battle with dementia on March 7, 2012. He lived in Shawnee, Kansas, with his wife of twenty years, Jeanie Olson Wilson. Thomas also resided in Kansas City, Missouri, for many years. He was born March 28, 1931, in the Wiliamsburg area of New York City. A Korean War veteran, he resided for the last years of his life in the Missouri Veterans Home in Warrensburg, Missouri.

Tom was a longtime supporter, board member, and treasurer of The Writers Place in Kansas City, Missouri. Jeanie and Thomas, both published writers and longtime contributors to the Kansas City area's literary community, were married on October 4, 1991. They initiated The Writers Place Poetry Reading Series at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, Overland Park, Kansas. Jeanie maintains the series.

The couple met in Dan Jaffe's creative writing class at UMKC, becoming lifelong friends with Jaffe, whom Thomas credited as having a strong influence on his writing. Thomas also studied at the University of Arkansas with Miller Williams, poet for President Bill Clinton's second inauguration. The Wilsons became close friends with Williams and his wife, Jordan, as well as with Jo and Charles McDougall from Arkansas.

Thomas's first book, Deliberate and Accidental Acts, published by UMKC's BkMk Press in 1996, was runner-up for the 1997 Thorpe Menn Award. Thomas and Jeanie co-authored a book of poetry, The Door into the Dream, published by Mid-America Press under the directorship of Robert Jones and named one of 100 Most Noteworthy Books for 2006 by the Kansas City Star.

A BkMk Press stalwart, Thomas was the designer for a good number of the press's book covers. The great jazz photographer Herman Leonard, viewing a cover Thomas designed around a Leonard photo, was, as one witness observed, "overwhelmed by the remarkable subtlety, simplicity, and power" of the design.

Thomas Zvi Wilson had a brilliant career as a sculptor and painter, exhibiting in such galleries as Miami Museum of Modern Art, Peabody Essex Museum, Georgia Museum of Art, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, Rockhurst University, and nine one-man exhibits in New York City. Renowned artist Otto Piene once remarked of one of Thomas's paintings hanging next to a Picasso, "Now here's an artist worth paying attention to." Not only a successful visual artist and consummate poet but also a highly respected businessman, Thomas was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Fry Wagner Moving and Storage in Kansas City, working closely with Larry Fry and Frank Senatore.

Thomas is survived by his wife; his son, Josh; two nieces; two great-nieces; and many special friends.

Memorial Service will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, March 24, 2012, at the Amos Family Funeral Home and Crematory.

The family suggests memorial contributions may be made to The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Missouri 64111.