Allan Daggett Wilcox, 89

Allan Daggett Wilcox, age 89, of Houston, Texas, passed away on May 6, 2023. 

Allan was born May 13, 1933 to Irene and N.D. (Bud) Wilcox. He grew up in Elysian, Minnesota, and graduated from high school in nearby Waterville. 

In 1955, while living in Minneapolis, he met Mary Ann Novotny, his wife of 63 years. They married July 2, 1955 in Montgomery, Minnesota, then moved shortly after to San Francisco, California, where Allan served in the U.S. Navy. 

While living in California, Allan and Mary Ann had their first child, Sheri, in 1956. In 1959, having returned to live in Waterville, they had their second child, Scot. Both children grew up in Waterville, and graduated from Waterville-Elysian High School.

Upon completing his tour of service, Allan returned to Minnesota to learn the weekly newspaper business from his father, Bud. In just a few years, he became owner, publisher, and editor of The Waterville Advance, which in 1970, he rebranded as The Lake Region Life. He then formed Life Newspapers, a chain of weekly community newspapers in which he had an ownership share. Over three decades, Allan acquired total or part-ownership of 45 weekly newspapers, including The Morristown Press (rebranded in 1970 as The Morristown Life), and The Elysian Enterprise.

In the early 1980s, Allan and Mary Ann retired from the newspaper business and moved permanently to Texas – first to Port Aransas, then to Lago Vista, and finally to The Woodlands, where they lived for over three decades. After Mary Ann passed away in 2018, Allan moved to Houston to be near his daughter Sheri. 

Friends and family will remember Allan as an early adopter of new technologies, entrepreneur, USA traveler, and fun-loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Allan was preceded in death by his wife Mary Ann; his parents Irene and N.D. (Bud) Wilcox; and his brother John. He is survived by his daughter Sheri Wilcox and her husband Duane Clementson of Houston, Texas; his son Scot Wilcox and his wife Annie Tremmel Wilcox of North Liberty, Iowa; four grandchildren, William Clementson of Houston, Texas; Elizabeth Clementson of Bastrop, Texas; Zachary and Emily Wilcox, both of North Liberty, Iowa; and great-granddaughter Claire Wilcox of North Liberty, Iowa.

At Allan’s request, no services are planned at this time.