Louis Wilson, known to most as Lou, passed away on September 2, 2026, at Wake Robin in Shelburne, Vt., with his wife, Betty, by his side. Born on December 6, 1933, to Lyman Lashon and Elizabeth Leech, Lou took the Wilson name following his mother’s remarriage to Millard Wilson.
Lou grew up in Maine and graduated from Ellsworth High School in 1952, where he played basketball. That year, he married his high school sweetheart, Constance “Connie” Merrill. They raised two children, Alan and Sharon, in Ellsworth, Maine.
Lou spent 46 years managing Merrill Furniture Company, helping develop the family business into a company known throughout New England. He proudly served 11 years in the Army National Guard and was active in civic, fraternal and community organizations, including the Boy Scouts, Boys’ Club, YMCA, Masons, Shriners and Eastern Star.
Following Connie’s death in 1987, Lou married Elizabeth “Betty” Boynton in 1989. Throughout their life together, Betty and Lou enjoyed building community wherever they went — from RV travels and camper rallies to visits with family and friends and active membership and volunteer service at the United Church of Underhill and Charlotte Congregational Church, both in Vermont. In 2022, they moved to Wake Robin Senior Community in Shelburne, Vt., where they enjoyed fulfilling relationships in this loving community until Lou’s passing.
Lou is survived by Betty; his children, Alan Wilson and wife Barbara, and Sharon Malcolm and husband Ralph; stepchildren, Janyce, David, Jim and Andrew Boynton, and their families; sister, Linda Coffman; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and extended family.
A service of remembrance will be held on October 25, 2026, 2 p.m., at Charlotte Congregational Church in Charlotte, Vt., with a reception following. A memorial gathering will be held on November 7, 2026, in Ellsworth, Maine.