Dr. Frank R. Wilson passed away on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at Frederick Hall long term care home in Fredericton. Born in Riverside, New Brunswick in 1935, he was predeceased by his wife of 60 years Carol (Blight) Wilson, his parents James and Ellen Wilson and siblings Betty (Laurie) Betts, Robert Wilson, Gwyneth (Frank) Willett and Gwendolyn (Ken) McLeod. He will be missed by his children, Kathy (Mike Armitage) Wilson of Fredericton and Andrew (Cindy Coombes) Wilson of Montreal, grandchildren Erika (Jake Anderson) King, Morgan King, Edward Wilson, Charlotte Wilson, and great-grandson Elwood Anderson. As the patriarch of his extended family, Frank is survived by many nieces, nephews and their families all of whom he adored.
After working as a teacher in a one room schoolhouse and surveying in Canada’s far north, Frank enrolled at the University of New Brunswick. He completed a bachelor’s and master’s degree in civil engineering and earned a PhD at University of Birmingham in England where he studied as a Beaverbrook Overseas Scholar. This experience was life changing for he and Carol, creating a lifelong passion for travelling and connecting with students and colleagues around the world. Frank returned to UNB as a professor of civil engineering in 1967, where he co-founded the UNB Transportation Group and had many key leadership roles including the dean of students, dean of engineering and dean of graduate studies and research, ending his career as the first vice president research and international cooperation. He never forgot the importance of being supported to pursue his education and was a mentor to innumerable undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom became lifelong friends and colleagues visiting him up to the time of his death.
Frank had a passion for people, relationship building and helping others. He loved talking politics and had an incredible sense of humour. He loved his alma mater and represented UNB proudly.
He was a leader in the engineering profession locally, nationally and internationally and made important contributions to the province of New Brunswick. He was passionate about his projects outside of work, most notably as the first president of the Fundy Trail Parkway, and his involvement with Portage Atlantic.
Above all else, Frank loved his family and spending time at their summer home in Alma. Always present and available, he was a wonderful listener, mentor and supporter.
You may support the Frank Wilson Scholarship or the Stevens Wilson Graduate Fellowship in Civil Engineering (Transportation) at UNB by donating online or by mailing a contribution to our office.
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We encourage you to share this page with family, friends and colleagues who may have known Frank, and to help honour his memory by making a gift in support of the memorial fund at UNB online or by mail.
Establishing named scholarships, bursaries or other funds is an easy and meaningful way to ensure that you or someone you care about is remembered with a special connection to UNB. Contact us to learn more.
