Terry Wilson was named the 2023 Retired Educator of the Year on June 22 by the Gloucester Retired Educators’ Association. She was honored during a luncheon at the DAV Building on Short Lane.

Honorees are chosen each year based on their dedication to GREA, dedication to helping young people in the community and participation in community organizations, a release said.

Wilson holds an associate’s degree in education from Danville Junior College and a bachelor of arts degree in education from Christopher Newport University. She also completed her gifted education endorsement. During her 26-year career in education, Wilson was a kindergarten teacher for Gloucester County Public Schools at both T.C. Walker Elementary and Abingdon Elementary.

Wilson has been a member of GREA since 2016, and was elected its president in 2019. During the challenge of a pandemic, she worked tirelessly to maintain virtual contact with members, hold meetings virtually, and even accepted a second term as president to help the organization restore in-person meetings, making her the longest serving president in recent years, the release said. Her willingness to go beyond the norm definitely demonstrates the qualities that make retirees a valuable resource in our community, the release added.

Wilson has also volunteered in the community beyond GREA as a member of “The Small Christian Community Organization” since 2003 and a member of “Carefree Seniors” since 2016. She has served as secretary, president, and is now vice president of the North River Circle of the International Order of The King’s Daughters and Sons.

Wilson has been a eucharistic minister at St. Therese Roman Catholic Church, Gloucester, for 23 years and has been a member of The Theresian Society since 2016.