Thomas Marion Wilkinson Sr.

Thomas Marion Wilkinson, Sr., passed from this world to eternity on Tuesday, January 29, 2019, @ 8:58 PM. Thomas  was born on July 9, 1937 to the late Edwin Wilkinson and Kathryn Caterwell Price in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma. The family later moved to Kansas City, Missouri where he lived until age 8. In 1946 after his father had remarried to Frances McQuiddy, he and his brother Edwin James moved to Jacksonville , Florida where he remained for the rest of his life. He attended Kirby Smith Junior High and Andrew Jackson Senior High, where he played French Horn in the band. He was an active and enthusiastic member of Central Christian Church on 9th street where he served as a deacon, elder, youth leader and choir member. He served briefly in the USAF before being honorably discharged and in 1960 he married Gladys Jeanette Adams Tucker. He was a loving father to her young son Richard Tucker and they had three other children Angela (deceased), Ruth and Thomas, Jr. He worked as an appliance serviceman for Sears and J C Penney before opening his own business in 1982. He later attended Forest Christian Church before joining Garden City United Methodist Church. A powerful tenor, Tom was always active in his church and sang in the choir from the time he was a teenager. He was a favorite soloist and often sang not only at services but at weddings, funerals and special occasions. Some of his favorite and most requested songs were "The Lord's Prayer", "He Touched Me", "In the Garden" and "Fill my cup Lord'. He was a great supporter of the Christian Youth Fellowship Group at Central Christian Church often chaperoning and cooking for camp outs and events. He loved to cook for people and could often be found in the church kitchen during fellowship dinners and pot lucks. He is preceded in death by his parents and stepmother, brothers Edwin and Don Wilkinson; Charles and Jerry Purcell and his sister Angela Cox. He is survived by his beloved wife of 58 years Jeannette, his children: Richard and his grandsons Steven and Matthew Tucker; Ruth Wilkinson Kruer (Wayne Maddox) and his grandsons Edwin and Ryan Kruer; Thomas, Jr with his wife Paula Gibbs Wilkinson and grandchildren Angie Brazell DiCola (Johnathan), William Brazell and Christian Noel Wilkinson; his brothers William and Garrett Wilkinson and his sister Janet Wilkinson Amato Howard and 17 great grandchildren as well as his 20 nieces and nephews. Memorial services will be held on Saturday February 23, 2019 at 2:pm in the Garden City United Methodist Church with pastor Alan Patz officiating. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or the American Heart association.

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