|
Wilson Hurley was born Friday, April 11, 1924 and passed away after a courageous struggle with ALS on Friday, August 29, 2008. He is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Rosalyn; daughter, Mary and husband, Tim McCabe of Phoenix, AZ; sons, Patrick of Modesto, CA, Norman and wife, Tracy of Scottsdale, AZ, Wilson and wife, Sharon of Fairfax, VA., Robert and wife, Ingrid of Huntsville, AL, and daughter-in-law Evelyn, of Concord, CA; grandchildren, James Wilson Hurley, Deirdre Hurley, Mary Keehan, Chelsee Hurley, Christopher Hurley, Connor Hurley, Tim, Erin and Sara McCabe, Jared Morris and many nieces and nephews. Wilson was born in Tulsa, OK, the son of Patrick J. and Ruth Wilson Hurley, who have predeceased him, along with three sisters. He graduated from Los Alamos Ranch School in 1941, and then from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY with his wings in 1945. He served a 30 month tour of duty in the Philippines and the remainder of his four year obligation in the States. Wilson earned a law degree from George Washington University in 1951, practiced law in Santa Fe and Albuquerque for a total of 12 years and engineering briefly at Sandia Corp. During that time he was a pilot in the New Mexico Air National Guard, ending that service with a tour of duty in Vietnam 1968-1969. He closed his law practice in 1964 to devote himself full time to painting and became known as a landscape painter, especially of the Western United States. He earned medals in his chosen profession, was honored as a Notable New Mexican by the Albuquerque Museum Foundation, elected to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and the Tulsa Hall of Fame and became an Oklahoma Treasure, especially for creating large scale murals at the National Cowboy Museum and in the Capital Rotunda in Oklahoma City. He was an accomplished public speaker and was devoted to helping other artists learn ways to paint good paintings. The family wishes to express its sincere gratitude to Hospice of New Mexico and to the doctors who were so generous during this long illness. A private burial at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe is scheduled. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, 6733 Academy Rd NE, #D1, Albuquerque, NM 87109, or a charity of your choice. French Mortuary 1111 University Blvd. NE (505) 843-6333 www.frenchmortuary.com
|
