Terry Wilson

Terry Wilson, 72, retired Director of Music at First United Methodist Church, Maryville, Tennessee (40 yrs), succumbed to pancreatic cancer, after a brave fight, on June 17, 2026. He was predeceased by his parents Buford and Mary Evelyn Wilson, brothers Kyle Wilson, Kenneth Wilson, sister Carolyn Manious, his in-laws, and several nieces and nephews. Terry accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior in junior high school. However, it was in high school that Terry received the call to full time church music ministry. He graduated from Fulton High School (Knoxville), Carson Newman University (BM Magna Cum Laude), and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (MCM Highest Honors). His post graduate education was in choral conducting with Professor Donald Neuen at UCLA.

Besides a passion for church music, Terry was a die-hard VOL, a love that was instilled in him from the early years. He always bled orange and wore his orange almost daily. “Win, lose, or draw, I’ll always be a VOL!”

Terry ‘s musical skills were honed with encouragement from his brother, who nurtured not only those gifts, but his walk with Christ. In 1981, he was called to join the staff at First United Methodist Church, where he developed and led a very successful music program. He was blessed to serve with the most wonderful and committed ministers and musicians during those years. He developed children’s, youth, and adult choirs, handbells, and orchestras to participate in worship, as well as choir tours throughout the southeast, Disney World, Carnegie Hall, and Europe. Christmas became especially meaningful at First Church during those years, as the best of sacred music was presented to the congregation and the community. In 2004, Professor James Pethel, Distinguished Composer-in-Residence at CNU, encouraged him to pursue composing and arranging, which allowed him to publish over 150 arrangements for piano, choral, organ, strings, and orchestra. In 2017, Terry received a successful kidney transplant at the University of Tennessee Medical Center. His donor, a church member, enabled him to continue serving God through the music ministry and composition.

Terry is a proud member of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers), Phi Mu Alpha, and the Society of Pi Kappa Lambda.

He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Brooke, daughter, Lindsey (Loubird), sisters Bobbie Duckett, Sharon Blancas, sisters-in-law Faith, Beverly, and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, Terry asked that memorials be given to the music ministry of FUMC, UT Transplant Center, or Maryville Alcoa Animal Rescue Center on Home Ave.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Sunday, June 28 at 3 pm at First United Methodist Church, Maryville, 804 Montvale Station Rd, with reception to follow. For those who are unable to attend, the service will be live-streamed (1stchurch.org). We ask that you wear a bit of the orange (tie, scarf, socks, jewelry) to celebrate his love of the University of Tennessee sports.