Pico Rivera : Memorial Rite Held for Planner Robert Wilson

Friends and family members held a memorial service last weekend at the Rivera Christian Church to honor longtime community leader Robert Wilson, an urban planning expert who served 16 years on the Pico Rivera Planning Commission and two years on the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission.

Wilson, 66, suffered a heart attack while flying home from a sailing vacation with his wife in the Virgin Islands. He died May 16 after being admitted to a Marina del Rey hospital. A previous heart attack on May 12 prompted doctors in the Virgin Islands to hospitalize Wilson for four days until his condition stabilized. The second heart attack happened as Wilson was returning to the United States for further treatment.

Wilson lived in Pico Rivera for 41 years and retired in 1986 as a senior planner after 36 years with the Los Angeles Planning Department. Among his other activities, he was president of the Pico Rivera Republican Club and on the board of directors for the Southern California Planning Congress. Wilson served overseas in World War II and graduated from USC in 1960. He lectured frequently at colleges and civic agencies on urban renewal and city planning issues.