Life has a way of leading us to the paths we are destined for, even if these paths are different from the ones we started on. Sid Wilson, a Brooklyn, New York native, found himself at a crossroads when at 50, his company of 14 years started to downsize. He decided to venture into uncharted territory with an entirely new career, one that has paid off in many ways.

Professional Life

Ambitious and motivated are just two words that aptly describe Wilson—from his personal to professional life, he achieves his goals with force and purpose. Wilson started his professional journey with training that helped open the doors to the rest of his career. “After high school, I attended and graduated from RCA Institute of Technology upon completion of a two-year course in Communications and Industrial Electronics,” Wilson says. “Subsequently, I worked in telecommunications for AT&T’s Western Electric Corp, the United States Army in Vietnam, the New York Telephone Company, and upon my relocation to Colorado, Lockheed Martin Corporation.”

A Private Guide

After 14 years of working at Lockheed Martin as a telecommunications operation manager, the company started to downsize, and Sid was forced to find a new direction. Deciding to look on the positive side, he used the event as an opportunity to explore a more profound passion—tourism.

“In 1992, I departed from Lockheed Martin and started my company, A Private Guide, Inc., a group tour and event transportation company servicing the corporate, convention, reunion, and student group meeting industry. For almost 30 years, we have been providing group tour and transportation services for groups of thirty to five thousand people.”

Giving Back through Volunteerism

In addition to enjoying his six-month-old granddaughter, Amora (daughter of Theo and Dora), when not working, Sid Wilson loves volunteering. “My proudest experiences are being a founding member and board chairman for The James P. Beckwourth Mountain Club; my long-term service and commitment to the Black American West Museum, starting as a docent, then board member, and finally as chairman of that board; and my service as an executive board member for Historic Denver, the Denver Zoo, and the Denver Public Library have been equally rewarding and enjoyable.”

Additionally, he has helped provide college scholarships to adults with challenging circumstances as an executive board member with the Colorado Scholarship Coalition as well as serving on American Express’s Academy of Travel and Tourism BOD, which provides scholarships for high school students opting for careers in the hospitality and tourism industry.

The Colorado Lifestyle

Enjoying all of what the “Colorado lifestyle” has to offer is yet another of Wilson’s passions. “I love sharing my knowledge of the region by escorting and leading small groups of veterans and their guests on ‘photo shoots’ to beautiful natural environments like State Parks, rivers, and streams.” Wilson strongly believes in enjoying the great outdoors athletically and says age is no barrier today. “Being a ‘baby boomer,’ we are not going quietly into the night. Just today [Sunday, August 2], I did fifteen miles on my bike along the Cherry Creek Bike Path and was not the only ‘senior citizen’ riding and enjoying Colorado’s great weather.”

From tourism to volunteerism, Wilson believes it’s all about the service you give and how that service—whatever it might be— helps to impact the community for the greater good.

Angelle Fouther and Daryn Fouther

Read more about other older adults who are making a difference and living life to the fullest.