By Joe Johnson
Norman “Sonny” Wilson was recently named coroner of the year by the Georgia Coroners Association.
He was previously so honored in 2013.
Sonny was first elected coroner of Athens-Clarke County in 2009, and after being re-elected four times this year will be his last.
“Over the past 16 years, I have had the honor and privilege of meeting many special people and building valuable connections,” he said. “Serving this community has been an incredibly rewarding experience.”
Sonny got his start in the funeral business as a young boy in Houston County, helping at a local funeral home and sometimes even driving the flower truck.
He graduated from Perry High School in 1963, and briefly attended UGA before moving on to the Indiana College of Mortuary Science in 1966 with a National Board Certification in Mortuary Science.
Sonny has worked in the funeral business professionally since the 1960s, and in those early days was nicknamed Rock. After becoming an EMT, the guys started calling him Dr. Rock.
Sonny came to Athens in 1996 to manage
Bernstein Funeral Home and he held that position until he retired in 2015.
When elected coroner of Athens-Clarke County in 2009 the workload the was 120-130 cases per year. That has risen to nearly 400 cases per year.
During his first term as coroner, Sonny served as president of the Georgia Coroners Association, and the next year his peers chose him to receive the Coroner of the Year award. He also chaired the Emergency Response Committee, Nominating Committee and the By-Law-Committee.
Sonny has loved the Georgia Coroners Association, believed in it, and worked to strengthen it. While serving as president, he prioritized transparency and ensuring his board was well-informed. He avoided controversy and always gave his honest thoughts and opinions when asked.
While serving the residents of Athens-Clarke County, after many years of working with local officials, he was able to build a county morgue. His office moved there in 2021. He also implemented a digital system for case files, which are now stored on county servers.
During his 56 years of funeral service, he learned how important it is to have patience, understanding, and empathy when talking with families. A coroner is the last person someone wants to face when dealing with death. When explaining he has also dealt with the loss of a child, mother, father, and spouse, they become more comfortable with the questions he must ask.
He's enjoyed the last 16 years as coroner and taken his role very seriously. He has looked after and helped many people during that time. He has earned the respect and friendship of his fellow officers, peers, and government officials, who have described him as selfless, with a humble spirit, and working at incredible lengths to save taxpayer dollars.
Sonny is a member of the Gideons International, Georgia Coroners Association, Funeral Directors Association, and Athens First Baptist Church.
This is his last year in office.
Rebecca Ellen Wilson shared a fun fact about her dad, saying that Sonny would be driving with family through the county and be able to point out every house where someone had passed away and recall what the cause of death had been.
He did not seek a fifth term in office after making a promise to his wife Kris prior to her passing away last year.
In retirement, Sonny plans to take a yearly cruise and spend time at his family's farm in Dooly County.