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Brad Wilson admits he walked away from a position most people work their entire lives to obtain. He was president of his family business, Wilson Funeral Home, for 23 years in Bridgeport, Ohio.
“It would have been Easy Street for me at some point,” said Wilson, now 46. “We had four funeral homes, a furniture store and a real estate business that I was working in. A lot of people look at what I did and they think I’m crazy.”
What he did was load his wife and three children into a recreational vehicle and move to Hilton Head Island, sight unseen.
The life-changing decision sprouted on Nov. 2, 2010, when his father Charlie Wilson lost his bid for a third term in Congress. The elder Wilson (no relation to the subject of the book and film “Charlie Wilson’s War”) decided to return to the family business.
“He made it known that he was taking back over the reins,” Brad Wilson said. “There wasn’t enough room for both of us. I decided I don’t have to be a funeral director. I can do something else.”
First, he put his house on the shaky real estate market. Three days later, he had a full-price offer.
Wilson packed up the motor home with his car in tow and headed south. One day later, he found himself at an RV park on sunny Hilton Head Island.
“We had no idea where we were,” Wilson said. “We would get in the car every day and just drive around.”
Wilson transformed the dashboard of his motor home into his personal office and started looking at different opportunities. One such opportunity was presented by local businessman Tom Cooper, who was selling some of his stores in Sea Pines Resort’s Harbour Town. Wilson ended up buying Harbour Town Crafts on July 1, 2010. Located dockside near the lighthouse, the business labels itself, “A Unique Gift & Low Country Wine Shoppe.”
And business has been good.
Being from Ohio doesn’t hurt business, either. With a large portion of Hilton Head’s tourist population coming from the Buckeye State, it’s the perfect icebreaker.
“I meet so many people that are from my little area of Ohio,” Wilson said. “You start talking and realize they live right down the street from where I used to live.”
Now, Hilton Head Island is home. And Wilson is making the most of his new life here. Along with his wife, Cathy, he’s starting a real estate investment company. He also started a business designed to improve existing products and has invented several items that are under patent research.
“I can’t go into great detail but they’re really, really cool,” he said.
Wilson is also dedicated to getting his family involved in their new community. His two daughters — Carley, 11, and Sidney, 9 — babysit cats and dogs and help with adoption days for the Hilton Head Humane Association. Wilson is also involved in the Hilton Head Island Rotary Club and is on the board of the Hilton Head Island Crew Team through his son Tanner, 16, who rows for the crew team and has applied to spend his junior year of high school in Spain.
The entire family is also involved with the Special Olympics. Sidney is diagnosed with hypertonic cerebral palsy and has special needs.
“As far as getting involved in the community, I’m used to that,” Wilson said. “In Ohio, my family has been there for 114 years and became a part of the community. When we moved down here, we just wanted to continue that.”
