Eric Donald "Don" Wilson (1917-2007) was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 2 April 1917. His parents, Edward George "Ted" Wilson (1892-1928) and Emily Roberts (1893-1951) had immigrated from England to Calgary in 1912, but had returned to Britain while Ted fought in the Great War. In 1918 the Wilsons moved back to Calgary.

Don graduated from Western Canada High School in 1935 and then enrolled at the University of Alberta. At the U of A he was a member of Phi Kappa and played football for the Golden Bears. Wilson graduated in 1939 with a Bachelor of Science in mining engineering. After graduating, Wilson worked a short time for Royalite Oil in Turner Valley. At the outbreak of the War, Don and his brother Kenneth Carl (1916-1944) both enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Don rose to the rank of Squadron Leader and served as a navigator on B-24s running supply missions in Ceylon. Ken was killed in a bombing raid on Magdeburg on 21 January 1944.

Two weeks after returning home from the War, on 28 December 1945 he married Luella Mannix (1918-2006), daughter of construction magnate Frederick S. Mannix (1881-1951). Wilson resumed his work in oil and gas, joining Imperial. He retired in 1975. In 1983 Don was diagnosed with cancer, and in 1990 he founded the Alberta Alternative Cancer Research Foundation. In 2000 he published a book entitled Resurrection! The Cause of Cancer Re-Discovered.

Don and Luella had six children: Ken, Paul, David, Mike, Clair, and Jim. Wilson died on 26 July 2006 at age 90.