Wilson Jerman was born on 21 January 1929 in Seaboard, North Carolina, USA. He was married to Gladys and Helen. He died on 16 May 2020 in Woodbridge, Virginia, USA.
He began working in the White House during the Eisenhower administration. In his last position, he served as maître d' in the Obama White House until retiring in 2012. He also worked as a butler and doorman.