Joycelyn Nicole Wilson dies in fatal Lake Oconee incident
Fatal Lake Oconee death of Joycelyn Nicole Wilson – Obituary
The body of Joycelyn Nicole Wilson, a respected college instructor, was found in Lake Oconee on February 9 after an empty boat was discovered near Wallace Dam on February 8.
Wilson, 49, of Atlanta, had been missing after witnesses reported seeing a man and a woman on a boat that was later found circling the lake. Authorities recovered her body the following day, but a second individual, Gary Jones, a private school coach, remains missing.
Wilson was a senior instructor at Spelman College, where she had worked since 2007, making significant contributions to the Mathematics Department and mentoring African-American women in the mathematical sciences. She was also a co-director of the Mathematics Research and Mentoring Program at the college.
Gary Jones, her fiancé, and a fellow Clark Atlanta University alum, remains unaccounted for. He was the varsity coach for the girls and boys track and field teams at Westminster Schools. The search for Jones continues, with authorities utilizing SONAR equipment to comb the lake despite adverse weather conditions.
Spelman College and Westminster Schools have both expressed their condolences, remembering Wilson’s lasting impact on her students and colleagues.
