Obituary
Joseph Thomas Wilkinson, age 70, of Fort Meyers, Florida, passed away unexpectedly on October 14, 2023 at Lee Memorial Hospital in Ft. Meyers, Florida.
Joseph was born in Mineola, NY to Robert C. Wilkinson and Joan A. Salerno (Wilkinson) on February 6, 1953. He was a graduate of Palmer High School in Palmer, MA, and attended college as an art major before enlisting in the Navy.
He married Susan Geer (Wilkinson, Stiglich) on May 20, 1978 in Palmer, MA. The couple was married for 35 years and had two children, Rebecca and Robert. Joseph was remarried to Wanda Melton (Wilkinso) on September 16, 2016 in Wilmington, NC.
He worked as a machinist for Rathbone in Palmer, MA, and Johnson Foil in Springfield, MA in addition to working construction/foreman positions with several companies over the years. He was a veteran who served in the Navy and took pride in his service to his country.
Joseph is survived by his wife Wanda Wilkinson of Blackshear, GA, his daughter Rebecca L. Maurer and her husband Jacob of Ludlow, MA, his son Robert Love of Charlotte, NC, his sisters Ellen Gegick of Shallotte, NC, Barbara Osgood of Myrtle Beach, SC and Dawn Jarrell of Chicopee, MA, his brother Scott Gower of Southport, SC, and his grandchildren Sophia, Isla and Natalie Alvaro and Zayden Maurer of Ludlow, MA, along with many cousins and family members in Florida, North Carolina, New York, Massachusetts and Maine.
He is predeceased by his parents Robert Wilkinson, Joan Wilkinson, his sister Donna Rini.
A small, private family gathering will be arranged in North Carolina for close family and friends to attend in November, details to follow.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to your local Department of Veterans Affairs.
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