John Hines Wilson Jr.

John Hines Wilson, Jr. of Stevensville, MD, husband of Deidre Knox Wilson, died on March 18, at Compass Regional Hospice in Centreville, MD. Mr. Wilson was 74 years old. Mr. Wilson (Tidewater Inn, Easton and Chesapeake Bay Beach Club and Inn, Kent Island) found that the greatest joy in building something, in developing and running a business was to see the people who are part of it flourish, to see a community grow. “There’s a lot of young people who start here, in their first or second job, that help us build. Seeing people grow in their spaces is great.”(1) Mr. Wilson was born on April 29, 1945, in Glenn Ridge, NJ, where his mother, Hannah Rowe Wilson, was staying with relatives while his father, John H. Wilson, Sr., completed his military service. The family's residence was in Timonium in a house built by hand by his father, a project manager for Martin Marietta and a professional photographer. Growing up, Mr. Wilson, his parents, his sister Elizabeth (married name Webster), and brother Richard were active members of Church of the Redeemer Episcopal Church on Charles Street. Mr. Wilson attended Lida Lee Tall School on the campus of Towson University, followed by St. Paul's School, and graduated from the University of Maryland in 1968. Mr. Wilson met his wife, Deidre Ann Knox, during college in 1967. They married in 1969 and lived in Elliott City, Timonium, Columbia, the Annapolis area, and Baltimore, MD, as well as Cohassett, MA, and Stevensville in 2000. Mr. Wilson was an entrepreneur who, with his retired father, sister, and brother, operated Wilson’s Garden Center in Columbia, MD, as a family business from 1970 until 1988. In 1981, Baltimore Magazine named him one of the 81 people to watch in 1981. He began in the development business with a small project in Columbia and took on the development of Henderson’s Wharf in the early 1980’s, bringing it to 95% completion. He developed marina complexes from South Carolina to New England during late 1980s and early 1990s, moving to Massachusetts in 1995. Creating the award-winning Chesapeake Bay Beach Club in the Kent Island and Stevensville area brought the Wilsons and their company Coastal South back to Maryland in 1998. The Beach Club became a key part of the Eastern Shore community, hosting weddings and events, including a Today Show wedding in 2005. In 2000, Mr. Wilson invested in building the housing community of Gibson’s Grant in Stevensville with several partners. In 2009,he purchased and renovated The Tidewater Inn in Easton. In 2015, the Inn at the Chesapeake Bay Beach Club opened to meet a growing demand for accommodations. Mr. Wilson served on the Board of Trustees of St. Paul’s School and oversaw the rebuilding of the school’s chapel after the devastating1990 fire. He also served on the boards of the Centreville National Bank of Maryland, now Shore United Bank, the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, and the Urban Land Institute. Mr. Wilson is survived by his wife, Deidre Knox Wilson of Stevensville, his brother, Richard Wilson of NH, eight nieces and nephews and their children; and 350 employees who the Wilsons consider family. Funeral arrangements will be handled by Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam. 1) https://whatsupmag.com/news/up-visionaries-john-wilson/ , James Houck 2) Doc Holiday’s Marina, Myrtle Beach, SC; Sheraton Hotel and Marina, New Bern, Nc; The Senior Residence Complex and Marina Bay, Quincy, MA; Fiddlers’ Cove Marina, North Falmouth, MA 3) https://www.baybeachclub.com 4) https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1997-04-08-1997098053- story.html A memorial service will be held at later with a celebration of life to follow at The Inn at Chesapeake Bay Beach Club in Stevensville, MD. in lieu of flowers, please make a donation in John's name to Compass Regional Hospice, 160 Coursevall Drive, Centreville, MD 21617.

John Hines Wilson Jr.

April 29, 1945 - March 18, 2020