Obituary: Woodrow S. Wilson

Woodrow S. Wilson 1915 ~ 2005 Woodrow S. (Woody) Wilson, 89, of Lakeshore Drive in Johnston, co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Polytop Corporation in Slatersville died Thursday. He was the husband of LaVeda (Westover) Wilson and the late M. Orlene (Boyden) Wilson who died in 1987. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, August 21, 1915, he was the son of the late Guy C. and A. Melissa (Stevens) Wilson. He lived in Johnston for 35 years; previously living in Slatersville, RI, Altadena, CA, Pasadena, CA, Glendale, CA, Arlington, VA, Provo, UT and Salt Lake City, UT. He graduated from Brigham Young University and received a law degree from Georgetown University. He practiced law in Washington, D.C. and in Los Angeles, California. His California clients included Lawrence Welk, Liberace, and Betty White. He was a member of the State Bar of California for 57 years. Woody was well-known and well-loved for his spirit of affection, optimism, and humor under stress. He was co-inventor of the original bottle cap with a rotating spout. He and his associates began production in 1956, and in 1961 Mr. Wilson became CEO and Chairman of Polytop Corporation, now located in Slatersville. He continued as CEO until 1998. He was previously named North Smithfield Citizen of the Year, and received the Rhode Island Entrepreneurial Success Award from the United States Small Business Administration in 1995. Besides his wife, he is survived by a son, Steven B. Wilson and daughter-in-law, Betty (Delph) Wilson of North Scituate; four stepchildren, Marcia E. Musser of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Milton S. Musser, Jr. of Tucson, Arizona; Patricia Joubert of Sante Fe, NM and Karen J. Stathis of San Pedro, California; two half sisters, Rebecca Hodge of Washington, DC; Ruth Wilson of New York City, New York; a half brother, Grant I. Wilson of Payson, Utah; five grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. He was the brother of the late Elizabeth R. Sears, Guy C. Wilson, Jr., D. Stevens Wilson, O. Merideth Wilson, Mabel "Mi Mi" Evans and half brother of the late Marguerite Wilson, Florence Andersen and Rachel Mabey. Funeral was Private. Arrangements by the Anderson-Winfield Funeral Home.