A lifelong Jamestown resident, Dwight was born on Nov. 5, 1931, a son of Esther and Sidney Willson, in Geneva, N.Y.

Dwight was a graduate of Geneva (NY) High School, SUNY Fredonia and Columbia Teachers College, and he served admirably in the U.S. Army in Germany.

Dwight spent several decades as a much loved and well-respected teacher of United States history at Jamestown High School. He impacted countless lives and was asked by the class of 1987 to serve as the commencement speaker at Chautauqua Amphitheater upon his retirement.

Dwight had a wonderful sense of humor and enjoyed spending time with his many friends. He loved history, politics, golf, the St. Louis Cardinals, opera, happy hour at The Pub, and a Manhattan on Fridays.

He is survived by a brother, Brian Willson; a lifetime of good friends who considered Dwight family, and generations of grateful students.