John Doane Wicks

Life in context.

28. John Doane “Jack” Wicks (1896–1949)
The family record says John served in World War I; his precise rank and unit still need a service file. In civilian life he became a filtration manufacturer and co-founded WIX in Gastonia, North Carolina, in 1939. His 1949 U.S. patent describes a pleated/fluted paper filter cartridge for lubricating and fuel-oil systems. He died on 1 November 1949 aboard Eastern Air Lines Flight 537 in the mid-air collision near Washington National Airport.
Evidence status. Direct relationship strongly documented; military rank remains unknown.
Original Stephen Chamberlain Wicks family genealogical wheel supplied by Harriet Powell. Used here as a genuine family-history artifact, not as a portrait.
Research sources: WIX Filters historical timeline; U.S. Patent 2,627,350; Published Doane family genealogy