Howard Emerson Nestor Wilson

                  “Chip”

September 11, 1951 – August 9, 2026

Chip Wilson, a distinguished, healthy and fit 74-year-old husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend, was struck and killed as he returned to his car after dinner with his beloved wife, Patti, in Polson, Montana. Although his death was sudden, he had just spent two wonderful weeks surrounded by family and friends at his home on Flathead Lake. He was a devoted family man who lived a full and meaningful life.

Chip was born on September 11, 1951, in Easton, Maryland, to Harry Norman Wilson and Kathleen Nestor Wilson. He often dreamed of returning to his Eastern Shore hometown, where life moved with the seasons, duck hunting in the fall, oysters in the winter, crabs, corn, and tomatoes in the summer. He enjoyed an idyllic childhood with his three older siblings, who looked after their baby brother until the very end. He and his sister, Kay, took a float trip in Glacier National Park the day before the accident. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Lynne, and his brother, Norman.

He graduated from Easton High School in 1969. A natural athlete, he played football, basketball, tennis, diving, golf and track. He continued to show off his diving skills whenever possible, including his children’s favorite, the “gainer into a can opener,” off the high dive at the Ocean Club in Ocean Ridge, Florida.

After high school, Chip followed in the footsteps of his father, brother, and sister and attended the University of Maryland, an institution he never quite forgave for leaving the ACC to join the Big Ten. During his college years, he studied business, joined the SAE fraternity, and made lifelong friends whom he continued to visit.

But the most important event to come from his time in College Park was meeting and falling in love with Patti McCarthy. The two were married on December 28, 1974, and set off on life's great adventure, a marriage that would remain devoted for 52 years. Later in life, Chip converted from Episcopalian to Catholic, walking alongside Patti in faith just as he had in everything else.

The happy couple moved to Easton after getting married and welcomed their first son, Kiely, in the same hospital where Chip was born. A few years later, after a move to Annapolis, they welcomed their daughter, Megan, the apple of his eye, and then their third child, Garrett, born in 1984, who made their family complete.

Chip is lovingly remembered for his faithful presence at sporting events for his three children and nine grandchildren. He adored his family, and they felt that love every day. His last act was a gentlemanly one, as always, safely putting Patti in the car before the accident that took his life.

His banking career began in Annapolis at Maryland National Bank, and later continued at American Security Bank in Washington, D.C., where he attended Loyola University at night to earn his MBA in 1984. His hard work paid off when Toby Callaway offered him a job at U.S. Trust Company in Palm Beach, Florida, where Chip spent 13 years running the Florida office. In 1999, he moved his family to Philadelphia, taking his career and his impact to new heights as CEO of U.S. Trust's Mid-Atlantic Region, and along the way became an avid Eagles and Phillies fan. In 2004, he joined Glenmede Trust Company in a senior executive role, where he flourished for the next 20 years, opening offices in New York City and Palm Beach.

Chip valued family, philanthropy, and traditional values, and he carried that commitment into every community he joined. He was an active board member of the Country Club of Florida and chaired the membership committee at the Gulf Stream Bath and Tennis Club. He also belonged to numerous other clubs, including the Everglades Club, Merion Golf Club, Merion Cricket Club, the 4th Street Club of Philadelphia, the Union League of Philadelphia, and Eagle Bend Golf Club in Montana. He also gave his time to the United Way of Palm Beach and Mural Arts Philadelphia. In retirement, visiting family, playing golf, club leadership, and travel kept him enthusiastically engaged.

He is survived by Patti, his wife of 52 years; his son Kiely of Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, his wife Merel, and their three children, Charlotte, William, and Rosalie; his daughter Megan Schroeder of Bernardsville, New Jersey, her husband Steve, and their three children, Emerson, Trey, and Grace; his son Garrett of Wayne, Pennsylvania, his wife Diana, and their three children, Glory, Shepherd, and Carter; and his sister, Kay Determan of San Diego, California.

Chip leaves behind a legacy of kindness, love, loyalty, and good humor. A true gentleman whose unwavering presence will be missed by all who knew him.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, September 11th at 10:00 at Basilica of St. Edward located at 144 N. County Road, Palm Beach, FL.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to The Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation, Gulf Stream School or The Everglades Foundation.