By Nathan Hardin
nhardin@salisburypost.com
Christmas won’t be Christmas for Sharon Simpson Woods this year.
Georgia police called Woods on Tuesday night and notified her that her 28-year-old son had been killed after a tractor-trailer crushed his white Ford Crown Victoria on his way home from work.
Wadale Kashifi “Chief” Wilson, a 2002 North Rowan High School graduate, moved to Atlanta about two years ago to take a job, Woods said.
But he always came back home for the holidays, wearing Santa-like garb and helping his mother with Christmas cooking.
His funeral will be Wednesday afternoon in East Spencer.
“Everything that everyone’s done — I can’t even imagine,” she said. “Everybody’s been so kind.”
Woods’ 140 Fairmont Circle home in Kannapolis echoed with sobs and sniffles Friday as family members spoke about his life and what the holidays would be like this year.
Wilson’s two sisters, Tamara Wilson and Shanae Simpson, sat together on a couch near their mother, tissues in hand.
“He was a good man,” Wilson said. “He was very humble.”
Her sister kept her hands over her face, with tears rolling off her cheeks, unable to speak.
About 15 family photos sat on the home’s living room table, some of Wilson, others of his sisters, cousins and parents.
The family had been busy fielding phone calls from friends and relatives.
Neighbors have agreed to let relatives coming in for the funeral stay with them, Woods said.
Two years ago, Wilson went to the mountains and bought Christmas trees to sell around Rowan County.
Shortly into his business venture, Woods said, he suddenly started giving away the trees for free.
“He said, ‘People can’t afford live trees, Ma,’ ” Woods said.
So he decided they should just have them.
“He would just give,” Woods said.
Woods and her family lived in the Salisbury area for about 10 years before moving to Kannapolis in 2004.
When she married Christopher Woods in 2006, she said, her son walked her down the aisle.
Wilson won’t be walking through the door on Dec. 25, telling his mother he’ll make macaroni and cheese and potato salad, but Woods said the family will work through it and remember the memories.
“He was a walking angel,” she said.
The funeral is planned for 2 p.m. Wednesday at Southern City Tabernacle AME Zion Church in East Spencer.