Jessica Webb
editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com
The unexpected and tragic death of Lambert Wilson, 68, of Whittier, this past Thursday, Oct. 20 has left a black hole in the community. Friends, family, colleagues, and former students called Wilson the most generous man they had ever met.
Wilson was a Swain County High School graduate who grew up with three sisters and always had a big heart. His sister, Linda Wike, said the siblings were all close and Lambert was her best friend. Laverne Wilson and Lorri McDowell are his other two sisters. He also left behind his life partner, Jenny Holland and many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and many, many young people who he took under his wing over the years.
“There’s three of us girls and him, and he would do anything in this world that was possible for any one of us or all of us,” Wike said. “He was the most giving person.”
Over the years, she said, he helped numerous people by paying their power bills, paying for funerals, helping with groceries or offering a room at one of his motels in Cherokee, The Drama Inn or El Camino Motel.
A Western Carolina University graduate, Wilson began with Swain County Schools in 1975 where he served as a teacher and then principal for a total of 31 years. He later served as a member of the Swain County Board of Education from 2008-2020.
Wilson was also a leader with Southwestern Community College, serving for 13 years on the Board of Trustees, including the past three years as chairman.
“Mr. Wilson poured so much of his time, his resources and his heart into supporting our students, our college and our community,” said Dr. Don Tomas, SCC’s President, in a press release. “Students were at the heart of every decision he made as a member of our Board of Trustees. He was a true, genuine friend to all of us at Southwestern. Our hearts are heavy; we’ve lost a great man.”
Wilson was also co-chair of SCC Foundation’s biggest fundraising event, the gala.
Out of respect for Wilson and his family, Southwestern was closed on Friday.
Wilson dedicated his life to education and was passionate about students and Native American art, she said. he also owned a gallery in Cherokee, The Queen House Gallery.
Basket artist, Mike Dart, shared several memories of Wilson on his Facebook page, and wrote the following, “Lambert was a light in the darkness that is consuming the earth. There will never be another Lambert. He was one of the last ‘true’ basket collectors left. Baskets, especially Cherokee baskets were his passion.”
“His smile, his wicked sense of humor and his compassion,” Wike said of how she wants people to remember him.
Long-time friend John Bubacz shared a story of just how giving Wilson was.
“Lambert was very obviously one of the most generous people I’ve ever met,” said Bubacz.
“The day I met him, I told him I thought the axle was broken was on my car, and he handed the keys to his truck and loaned his truck to me for a month. That’s what Lambert was like.”
In condolences shared on Facebook, many referred to Lambert Wilson as not just teacher or principal but as “Uncle Lambert.”
“All of his students at Whittier and East were like nieces and nephews to him, he was everyone's favorite Uncle,” wrote Jessica Lynn.
More than 100 people commented with condolences and shared memories of how Wilson was a positive influence in their lives when Swain County Schools posted the news of his loss on Friday morning. “Heartbroken” and “prayers” were said by many commenting.
Frances Brooks shared the encouragement Wilson provided her in beginning her career. “Prayers for the family! I worked under Mr. Wilson at East Elementary years ago when I first began my teaching career. He encouraged me to apply there when my student teaching was up, and I am grateful for the start I got at East because of him,” she wrote.
For Godson Slade Baker, Lambert Wilson was more like a father. He called him a great mentor who changed a lot of lives for the good.
He was both Baker’s mother’s teacher and principal and his. Baker said Wilson was the one who first invited him to church when he was young and influenced him to find God.
“One of the things that Lambert had when he was principal was a sign posted on the school wall, and it was the Golden Rule to do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” Baker said. “Lambert really lived up to that. He set a good example, he did anything he could to try to help you and make you a better person.”
The world is worse off without him, Baker said.
Colleague and friend Mark Sale, superintendent of Swain County Schools, said Wilson was truly a great man.
“There are some people who live a life of goodness and compassion to the extent that they become the subject of the locally created myth. Lambert lived this type of life. As one that worked very closely with him for 22 and was allowed to establish a very close friendship, I would say that the myths of the goodness of Lambert Wilson are much closer to the truth than stories that we read about others,” Sale said.
A Memorial Service for Lambert Wilson will be held Saturday, Oct. 29 with visitation at 2 p.m. and service at 3 p.m. at the Balsam Center Myers Auditorium, Southwestern Community College, 447 College Drive, Sylva, NC 28779
A detailed obituary will be posted at Crisp Funeral Home online. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Lambert G. Wilson Scholarship Fund at SCC.