A Family Man Retires From The Family Business

By Mark Mitchell

Meeting Calvin Wilson for the first time, it takes about five minutes to feel like you have somehow known him for years. Surely he is related to you somehow and you’ve shared stories in the past at a picnic in the park. There’s no way you can feel this comfortable with a stranger whom you have known for less time than it takes for you to microwave your favorite pepperoni and cheese pizza.

Calvin Wilson looks forward to a lot of fishing following his retirement from the Dan’l Boone Inn after working there for more than 33 years. Photo by Mark Mitchell

You quickly realize that no, you have not met before this moment, you just wish that you had.

You also realize that you are probably one of the few people in Watauga County who have not encountered the 65-year-old Wilson, you see, Wilson has spent the last 33 years working at one of the true restaurant traditions in the High Country ... the Dan’l Boone Inn. From humble beginnings as a weekend dishwasher, to plenty of years preparing the country-style cuisine, and finally, to 20 years spent as an assistant manager, Wilson has seen, and done it all.

He has done it all while working side-by-side with his brother Gene Wilson, the principal owner of the restaurant since 1971. It’s a relationship Wilson values, just like the one he shares with his wife of 46 years, Winnie Wilson, who also worked at the Dan’l Boone Inn for 13 years. On this past Sunday, however, Calvin called it career and said hello to the next chapter in his life ... a chapter called retirement, (aka fishing and traveling).

Before casting a line or filling up the family car, however, a trip back in time seems appropriate. It’s a trip that finds a 31-year-old young man spending his summer weekends washing dishes.

“My brother (Gene) approached me and asked me if I wanted to take on a bigger role as a cook,” Calvin said with a smile, “and I said sure, I can help you for a while. I just didn’t know that awhile would end up being this long.”

Calvin would work as a cook for the restaurant for more than a decade, finally making the switch to assistant manger in 1987. Calvin said he enjoyed the switch in job description because he enjoyed the people he worked with and the customers he met. At a tradition-rich restaurant like the Dan’l Boone Inn, some of the customers Calvin met through the years included actors, astronauts, coaches such as Don Shula, and NASCAR drivers like Rusty Wallace and Kyle Petty. He did, however, not enjoy everything that came along with the jump into the world of management.

“My hair didn’t turn gray until I became a manager,” Calvin quipped as he broke into a hearty laugh.

While hair color may have changed through the years, Calvin’s zest for work did not. He embraced his management role, holding that position until Sunday’s retirement, a day that featured a celebration where Calvin was surrounded by family and friends he had made during his time at the Dan’l Boone Inn.

As he looked back on his time in the restaurant business, the 65-year-old only spoke in glowing terms of the experience.

“I was very lucky to work with some great people,” said Calvin. “Me and Gene worked together for 37 years, and we never had a cross word between the two of us. Gene doesn’t bother people. He didn’t bother me, the servers, the rest of the management team or anyone. He let’s us do our job and is very easy to get along with.

“I also got the chance to work with Winnie for 13 years when she was a server here and that was great. On top of that, the restaurant has some of the best people here I’ve known. I was very lucky.”

While the world of retirement officially started this past week, Calvin received a sneak peek of a life without work with the recent closing of the Dan’l Boone Inn for eight months for extensive renovations.

“It was different not coming to work,” said the recent retiree with a smile. “I came by from time to time and enjoyed my visits, but I have to admit, it made retirement look real good.”

So, just what does retirement hold for Calvin?

“Well, my wife just retired as well, so with both of us around the house, I guess we will just have to try to get along,” he said as he chuckled. “I imagine my honey do list will be bigger than ever, but that’s good because I like to keep busy.

“We never had children, but our Dachshund thinks she’s a person. I guess the three of us will do a little traveling, and I know I’ll do a whole lot of fishing. It’s strange because I look forward to this next part of my life, but at the same time, it’s hard to leave such a great bunch of people.”