News-Aegis staffers regret the loss of their friend and collegue, Burl Wilson who passed from this life after suffering from a massive heart attack. Burl always greeted everyone with a smile and a positive attitude.

Remembered by EJ Vernon, Managing Editor— I headed toward the door to grab my last news story for the day when the glow from Burl’s office light caught my attention.  I stepped in.

“Hey, how goes it?”

“It’s going great!” Burl said.  With his animated personality, Burl was never one to reply in the negative.

“It’s almost six,” I said.  “You should go home.”

“Well, you know, I’m trying to finish up some of this stuff before the end of the week.  My daughter is coming into town this weekend.”

This was not the first time I caught Burl in the office after hours.  When a job needed to be done, Burl devoted himself whole-heartedly to the task.

“She’s about your age, you know that?  How old are you?”

“Twenty-eight,” I said.

“Yeah, y’all are about the same age, I guess.”

“Where does Morgan live?”

Morgan’s actually working in Washington, D.C.” Burl said.

“Oh, that’s really cool,” I said.  “Does she enjoy living up there?”

“She loves it!”

Burl went on to tell me how Morgan started working there and about her job.  I couldn’t help but envy Morgan.  We were the same age, and she worked in a city journalists dream about working in.  And she had a father who could not help but brag on her.  Burl never said it, but the more he talked about Morgan the louder he spoke.  He adored Morgan more than anyone on Earth.  I wondered what it would be like to have a father who bragged about me the way Burl bragged about her.

“I’ve never been to D.C.  I’ve always wanted to go.  Sounds like she has done really well for herself.  Maybe I’ll be able to do the same someday.”

True to his character, Burl didn’t hold back telling me what he thought.

“Absolutely, you can.  Anything is possible,” Burl said.

Burl, thank you for loving people and encouraging people in every walk of life.  You will be missed.

Remembered by Buddy Roberts, Sports Editor—My favorite memories of Burl Wilson are inseparably tied to music.

Not long after we began working together, I discovered that Burl and I had similar tastes in music, which subsequently became frequent topics of conversation as he passed through the newsroom or I visited him in his office.

He loved to sing the oldies, which, thanks to my parents, I developed an appreciation for at a very early age.  Burl was an even bigger Jerry Jeff Walker fan than I am, and he often regaled me with stories of seeing Walker and outlaw country performers as Townes Van Zandt, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Emmylou Harris, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson in concert during their early ‘70s heyday.

When I recently began to explore the West Coast country rock and Lauren Canyon singer-songwriter sounds that were produced during the decade between 1965 and 1975, Burl was right there with suggestions about artists to listen to and share trivia from his encyclopedic knowledge of that era’s musicians.

Having only discovered them in more recent years, I’ve often wished I’d been around to see those artists in their prime and hear their music in the contexts in which it was first released.  Burl had been there, and I never got tired of hearing his stories about those days.

Aside from missing our chats about music and our shared appreciation for the glory days of newspapers and the industry in general, I’ll remember Burl as a man who loved his family.

Hardly a workday passed that I didn’t hear him speak about his wife Jolene and his daughter Morgan, of whom he was very proud.  All of us here at the News-Aegis are sorry that they’re feeling that pain that comes with losing a loved one.

A couple of days ago, I came across this quote from one of Burl’s favorite musicians.

Something about it seems especially fitting now, and somehow I think Burl would agree.

“The winds of change are always blowing/And every time I try to stay/The winds of change continue blowing/And they just carry me away.” — Willie Nelson

Remembered by Amanda E.H. Pritchard, Leeds/Moody Reporter—War Eagle—two words that mean Tiger Pride and camaraderie.

It’s a passion Burl Wilson and I shared.

Our War Eagle moment happened when I found myself strapped for cash one day. In my despair I also came to realize my gas tank was way past “E” with zero dollars in the bank.

It was a dismal day, but the silver lining was Burl.

Without hesitation Burl said, “I’d be happy to help you. Let’s go get you some gas.”

Although I only saw a small glimpse into his life the characteristics of compassion and ability to help his fellow colleagues were parts of his personality that truly display the Auburn spirit.

Greeting the editorial staff with a hardy, “Hello newsroom,” we will never forget his stories about his love of being in the church praise band, the life he shared with his wife Jolene and the pride he had in his daughter Morgan.

At this year’s Auburn football season opener I will proudly raise my orange and blue shaker high in the air for Burl, for the kinship we share is about a family where we’re “All in.”

Remembered by Michael Mee, Former General Manager/News Editor—Burl Wilson was always full of life, no matter the situation.

He was the loudest human being I’ve ever known, and he put those pipes to work in his church’s praise band, our daily conversations about his advertisement sales, and in good general conversation.

In case you’ve been living in a bubble, newspapers are going through a change, but Burl took every challenge in stride.  Ever the salesman, he would work until the last moment to get the sale, either in print or online. As the then-general manager of the News-Aegis, I often gritted my teeth about it. But he delivered, as all great advertising men do.

He was always optimistic and light-hearted, something I still admire. Always with a smile when he came in the door and his cross around his neck yelling, “Hey! Michael, how are you today?”

Burl even had a nickname at the Alabama Press Association, which I learned his first month working with me: Burl the Pearl. Over the years he earned it, as he always looked out for both the customer and the newspaper he worked for at the time.

He was also a great Christian man, who even invited my family to hang out with his extended family this year at Auburn’s A-Day game. His family was also full of life when we hung out on The Plains, including a daughter who is the perfect mix of Burl and his wife Jolene.

As an Auburn fan, I couldn’t resist seeing him–an Auburn alum–in his element that weekend.  He studied there for many years, earning one degree that’s hard to gain but not often recognized: life experience. It is with sad frustration that I say goodbye to him, but I’m glad I knew him.

Burl Wilson: Auburn’s ultimate one-man salesperson. For both life and Christianity.     –Res ipsa loquitur