With so much hustle in The Drip nowadays, it’s hard to imagine what this little, big town felt like back in 1968 when our Woman of the Year, Gay Lynn Wilson, grew up here. “There was no fire department, and my dad was one of the volunteers to drive the EMS truck,” she recalls. “The city would blow a loud horn, and all the men would come out of their homes to go wherever they were needed to put out fires or get people to the hospital.”
As Gay Lynn told the stories of our “once-upon-a time” Dripping Springs, it was hard not to be enthralled and maybe a little envious of her experiences in this sleepy town of yesteryear. Sleepy or not, though, her town was also full of “doers” and “go-getters,” and she and her husband were part of that tribe, prioritizing family, education, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.
Gay Lynn grew up on Old Fitzhugh Road right off Mercer Street in downtown Dripping Springs. “I would practice basketball up and down Old Fitzhugh,” she says. “Cars would come by and you would wave, always knowing who it was.” With both of her parents serving in the school system as teachers, her family was well loved within the community. Her dad (and namesake), Galen Dodson, served as a teacher for 18 years and then principal at the high school for another five years, while her mother, Jerry Lou Dodson, taught first grade for 27 years. Her dad was also the mayor of Dripping Springs!
Gay Lynn’s mother cultivated a love for volunteer work in her daughter’s heart. As one of the founders of Dripping Springs Helping Hands, Jerry Lou tirelessly gave to those in need throughout her life. With this rich bloodline of community stewardship, Gay Lynn was born to serve and continues to hold this deep passion, serving on multiple boards over the years and volunteering with nonprofits in the area.
Even though Gay Lynn met her husband, Trey Wilson, in the third grade, they wouldn’t date until much later, while he was studying music at University of Texas and she was in her last year at Texas A&M. Trey’s family brought entrepreneurship to the family’s forefront back in 1949 when his dad, J.W. Wilson, opened his own appliance store.
Following World War II, J.W. met and married Trey’s mom, Lurline. After mastering electronic repairs in a college course, he opened up J.W. Wilson TV and Appliance, originally located on Mercer Street. Growing up, Trey educated himself about the appliance and repair business alongside his father, and after graduating from the University of Texas, he married his longtime friend and sweetheart, Gay Lynn.
As they began their life together, Trey worked as the assistant band director at Dripping Springs High School, and Gay Lynn was a teacher at Dripping Springs Middle School. It wasn’t long before they decided to go all-in on his dad’s lifelong business and purchase a portion of J.W. Appliance.
After J.W.'s passing, Trey and Gay Lynn purchased the remainder of the business, and today they are proud owners of Wilson Appliance, one of the last family-owned major appliance retailers in Central Texas. Gay Lynn worked faithfully side by side with her husband and, with only five employees in the beginning, she did everything from cleaning toilets to unpacking shipments and balancing the books. She grew to know the business inside and out.
In 1985, Gay Lynn and Trey started their own family, welcoming their son, Gavin, and seven years later, a daughter named Emily. Both were students at DSISD, and while Emily is raising her two children in Houston, Gavin is located here in Dripping Springs and owns a computer solutions company, Wilson PC Solutions. As her kids were growing up, Gay Lynn wore many hats as a mother, business owner, and board member to prominent local establishments like The Pound House, Dripping Springs Community Library, and Dripping Springs Methodist Church/Pathways (just to name a few).
When asked how Dripping Springs has changed, Gay Lynn smiles and says, “My hope for Dripping Springs is that it keeps its small-town community feel. That neighbors feel like neighbors. It’s the gift of our town … that people help each other.” We shared the quintessential laugh about Drip traffic, but she was quick to add that the boost in business is definitely a perk of the city’s growth. Additionally, the new residents, whom she now calls friends, have truly enriched her life and she is so glad they are here.
Life today for Gay Lynn and Trey looks a bit different. Although they are still very much a part of the day-to-day operations at Wilson Appliance, the business has grown to over 50 employees. This expansion has given them more time to spend with their family and friends and pursue their hobbies and volunteer endeavors. As we sat chatting away about Dripping Springs, Trey was in the adjacent room making music, as that is one of his biggest passions. Specifically, he loves piano and percussion, and he fills his free time composing music, playing for the church choir, and sitting in with the Nash Hernandez Orchestra some evenings.
Gay Lynn is enjoying Galen, her 95-year-old father, whose upbeat, social lifestyle has been a blessing to his daughter, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Aside from loving on her grandbabies when they come to visit, one of Gay Lynn’s primary interests is tending to her amazing garden. This expansive vegetable and fruit garden is 10 years in the making. Rows of carrots and other vegetables, along with lines of countless fruit trees, make for a picturesque Texas Hill Country scene. Along with a gang of chickens and a few cats, this domestic habitat keeps her hands full at her multiple-acre ranch perched on a hill.
As I drove up the windy road to meet Gay Lynn, the peace of her property immediately lulled me into a slower pace. With her sweet greeting, warm smile, and welcoming committee of cats, I felt right at home. I saw immediately what her Woman of the Year nominator meant when she said that Gay Lynn just wants to care for the people and things she loves. Whether it’s offering vegetables and eggs from her land to her family and friends, or being an ear to someone in her church congregation, she is a friend to all. Even her chickens follow her around like she is their mama hen.
But the biggest and most rewarding venture for Gay Lynn is giving back. She finds great joy and promise in volunteering where people need it the most. Whether through Helping Hands of Dripping Springs, the nonprofit her mother helped start, or donating appliances from her store to organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Hometown Mission, and Home in a Month, the Wilson family proves again and again that they will be there for their community. Even the local furry friends of Dripping get love through Gay Lynn’s endeavors with Paws of Central Texas. “We really like to help the local nonprofits that are 100% volunteer and may not get as much help from tax or government funds; it’s important to us.”
With deep roots in our beloved town of Dripping Springs and a passion for family, community, and local entrepreneurship, we are inspired and proud to announce our Woman of the Year, Gay Lynn Wilson!