About Us

Since the 1890′s, present and past owners of the Wilson Funeral Home have served the families of the Norwich community as an independent, family-owned funeral home. The funeral home is now owned by John Gawronski and his wife, Shannon. The two purchased the funeral home in March 2017 from long-time owners Douglas and Sharon (Ryan) Wilson. Doug served as the funeral home's funeral director, then owner, for a combined 36 years, and his father, Pete Wilson, served the community starting in 1949. John Gawronski joined the firm in 2009, and was licensed soon after. He became the firm manager in 2015, and oversaw every aspect of the funeral home operation until he and his wife purchased the firm in 2017.

John and Shannon are passionate about serving the Norwich community. John has served on the local hospice board and volunteers his time at the local YMCA. His wife, a native of nearby Greene, has been the Norwich YMCA's health and fitness director since 2005, and has coached numerous atheltic teams in Norwich and Oxford. After graduating from Norwich High School and Brandeis University, the oldest of their three children, Erin, began work for her community at the Waltham YMCA in Massachusetts. Their middle child, Gabe, also a Norwich High School graduate, is currently a student at Stony Brook University and varsity track athlete. Their youngest child, Katie, is a senior at Norwich High School and Vice President of the Class of 2020.  

John Antonowicz, a Norwich native and active resident, started assisting the firm in 2014, and became formally employed by the funeral home in 2015. He graduated from mortuary school in 2016 and became a resident that same year. He was fully licensed in the fall of 2017. John serves on the Board of Directors of Chenango United Way, Chenango County Historical Society, Chenango Hospice, and Chenango Valley Home.