Columbus ‘legend’ as a radio personality, mayoral assistant and minister, Ed Wilson dies
J. Edward “Ed” Wilson, who made an impact in Columbus as a radio broadcaster, a mayoral assistant and a minister, has died.
Muscogee County Superior Court Judge Bobby Peters, the mayor of Columbus from 1995-2002, announced the news of Wilson’s death on his Facebook page in a post on Jan. 29.
“Sad news!! Lifelong friend & community legend passed away last night,” Peters wrote. “The Hon. J. Edward Wilson. Chief of staff in the Mayor’s office, media giant, one of the smartest & kindest man I have ever known.”
Wilson was 94 when he died Jan. 28 at Magnolia Manor, a senior living center in Columbus, after a short illness, according to his obituary.
The funeral arrangements include a memorial service Feb. 8, starting at 2 p.m., in Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Columbus, 8827 Heiferhorn Way.
Most recently, Wilson was adjunct minister for the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Columbus. Wilson was ordained as a Seventh-day Adventist minister and pastored churches in Indiana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Alberta, Canada, before moving to Columbus and working in radio for 25 years, according to the organization’s website.
Wilson was known for his “hard-hitting” radio editorials on WDAK-540 AM’s “What’s Your Answer” program in the 1960s and hosted the talk show “Talkline” on WRCG-1420 AM in the 1980s, according to Fandom.com.
In 1973-74, Wilson was publisher and editor of a weekly Columbus newspaper called “Thursday,” funded by Aflac co-founder John Amos.
Wilson’s 12-year career in city government also included working as an assistant to Bob Poydasheff, who served as Columbus mayor from 2003-07.
“He was highly intelligent, patient, respectful to everyone, great sense of humor, and dedicated to the truth and accurate information,” Peters told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email.
Peters recalled the time when Paul Harvey struggled to spell a word on his national radio show and told his listeners, “I bet Ed Wilson in Columbus, Georgia, could spell it. He can spell anything.”
“That was a great tribute to Ed’s intelligence and respect from his peers,” Peters said. “Ed and I never had a cross word. I respected him greatly. He was very involved in the community and his church. … His deep kind voice and sincere compassion for all people were his best attributes.”
The variety of folks posting tributes to Wilson on Facebook in reaction to Peters’ announcement shows the breadth and depth of his influence. Here’s a sampling of the 92 comments as of Monday morning:
- “Ed was amazing and such a good steward for the city. … Well done, good and faithful servant,” wrote Teresa Tomlinson, former Columbus mayor (2011-19) who ran for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 Georgia senate primary election.
- “A quintessential gentleman,” wrote Josh McKoon, chairman of the Georgia Republican Party and a former state senator from Columbus (2011-19).
- “Ed was good people,” wrote Jack Rodgers, former WRBL sports director.
- “He was a great man,” wrote Russell Traino, retired Columbus Police Department major.
- “He was such a gentleman, and an inspiration to me and many people, an amazing man!!!” wrote Mimi Woodson, former Columbus councilor (1994-2022).
- “He was a fine man, excellent broadcaster, whom I consider to be one of the fathers of talk radio, and a public servant through his work with you,” wrote Sam Hall, former WRBL and WTVM news anchor.
- “We need more Eds in this world,” wrote Cyndy Cerbin, former National Infantry Museum communications director.
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Columbus website memorializes this toast written by Wilson:
“We celebrate life with its beauty and its pain. We lift these cups in tribute to the achievements of human minds and hands, and in sensitivity to the frustrations of misfortune and heartache; not fixing blame or credit for the outcome of chance, sensing the risk…savoring the joy… sharing it all! Knowing of the certainty of death and remembering the value of each moment, we drink this toast in celebration to this time…to the future… to each other…to the throbbing of the Earth and sea and sky with life. We drink this toast in celebration of life!”
This story was originally published February 3, 2025 at 11:06 AM.
