'Just one more': Ron's bottomless bucket list

The Wilson family farewells the never dull grandfather Ron Wilson.

DEARLY MISSED: Ron Wilson preparing for the distinguished Gentlemen's Ride. Picture: Contributed

"JUST one more.”

Be it a car, bike, holiday, beer or another person to talk to, Ron Wilson was always on a mission to live his life to the fullest.

For every item he ticked off his bucket list, another 10 would appear.

With all the events he was involved in trying to get through that list, it was no wonder hundreds of people from all across the globe travelled to his funeral service, many in historical vehicles and hot rods.

Ron Wilson was always trying new things in an attempt to live his life to the fullest. Picture: Contributed

Mr Wilson passed away on January 3 unexpectedly while working on his last vehicle.

He was born on December 5, 1963 and grew up on a property at Cannon Creek before moving to Stanthorpe in 1967.

He was somewhat of a mischievous child and that cheeky sense of humour stayed with him through his adult years.

He met wife Diane at 16, when he was riding around on a horse and she decided to throw apples at him to grab his attention.

They dated for five years before getting married in 1977 and eventually having two sons, Scott and Brett, who would go on to have six grandchildren.

He attended St Joseph's School before he started work for Central Motors as a panel beater, spray painter and cars salesman.

Young Ron Wilson at school at St Joseph's. Picture: Contributed

He then moved on to work in insurance, in which he would excel before retiring in 2010.

"Everyone relied on Ron,” daughter-in-law Kylie Wilson said.

"Even just for a question or 'I'm going to buy this car, what do you think?'”

He was a member of the Souther Downs Rodders, a life member at Carnell Raceway, he joined Rotaract in his early years and was part of the Australian Street Rod Federation and the Ulysses club.

He built a trike from scratch with close friend Andrew Kidd, which took him years to complete, along with a car trailer.

The Trike Ron Wilson. built from scratch. Picture: Contributed

He was working on building an A Model from scratch when he passed away.

His collection of cars and bikes would reach up to more than 50, with him often telling his wife "just one more”.

But she never said no.

"I enjoyed the company and the people we'd meet out of the cars,” she said.

Ron Wilson loved anything to do with motor vehicles. Picture: Contributed

The cars would take them all over the world on his never-ending bucket list. From riding a Harley trike and NASCAR in the US to touring a side-car in China - wherever he went his love for motor vehicles was not far behind.

"It was always Ron's passion to go and I always followed,” Diane said.

"I would never have done some of the things he's done. He's been parachuting, done rapid rides in New Zealand and done motorbike jumps.

"He's done speedway and drags.”

He participated in about 20 Endeavour Rallies and several Gentlemen's Rides for prostate cancer.

Even one year he won best car of the show in Parklands on the Gold Coast, at the Hot Rod nationals with a 28 Futura.

Eventually most of Ron's car collection would be sold, as Diane believed he wouldn't want them sitting idle.

"A couple will be kept but majority will go because they have to be maintained, they have to be ridden,” she said.

"He wouldn't want them sitting there and deteriorating.

"Every vehicle there probably would have had a run once a fortnight at least.”

If there was one thing he may have loved more than motor vehicles it was his grandchildren.

"One time Phoebe (Kylie's oldest), her sister went to a disco and she was too young so Ron set up a disco for her in the house,” Diane said.

"We had our own disco going with dancing.

"He would do anything for the grandkids.”

The love of cars is definitely hereditary. Kylie can see it in her husband and after Ron got mini hot rods and motorbikes for all the grandchildren there could be another generation of it.

"If the grandkids wanted something and their parents said no, they would turn around and say, 'Well, Pop's the boss of our family, so we can do it, can't we Pop?'” Diane said.

"A lot of the time we had to control him to be able to control the kids.

"He'd sit in the chair and let the kids massage his feet, put stuff in his hair, put make-up on him.”

Mr Wilson filled a lot into his 65 years as his saying was "I don't ever want to be sick lying in a hospital bed and thinking, 'Gee, I wish I had have done that.'”

And according to both Diane and Kylie, he would have felt his life was fulfilled.