William (Bill) Wilkinson

William “Bill” W. Wilkinson, Jr., 56 went to be with our Lord on May 6, 2020 at his family’s home in Harlingen, TX after a hard-fought battle with cancer. He is with his dad, William “Bill” Wilkinson, Sr. and many family members who he shared many memories, and most dearly his Grandma Vidos who made him his triple-layer banana cake when he was a kid. Bill was born on July 27, 1963 in Harlingen, TX and shared his birth with his twin sister, Dana. His parents are Lucy Wilkinson and the late William “Bill” W. Wilkinson Sr. Bill followed in his dad’s footsteps and graduated from Texas A&M University in 1987. He worked with Exxon, Teledyne and the last 17 years with the Texas Department of Public Safety where he was very blessed to have many colleagues who supported him during his battle with cancer.

He leaves behind his two furry family members, Gator and Prissy, who he loved dearly. Before succumbing to this disease, he had six furry friends, 5 dogs and Ms. Kitty, all who were strays. Even though he lived alone, he had his dogs and cat to keep him company and a yard full of chickens and guineas. In his spare time, he loved to tinker with broken-down tractors, cars and trucks to get them back into working condition. Just like his stray animals, he couldn’t help but take something that was neglected and make it better. Bill also loved his sweets from Lara’s bakery and Shipley’s donuts, not to mention his steak rancheros from Panchito’s restaurant.

Bill was preceded in death by his father, Bill Wilkinson, Sr. He is survived by his mom, Lucy Wilkinson, his twin sister, Dana Yates (Greg), nephews, Cameron Anderson (Nora) and Dane Yates, along with his great nephew and nieces, Cameron Anderson, Jr., Sophia Anderson and Maddie Anderson. He is also survived by many cousins, uncles and aunts. The family would like to thank all his family and friends for their support and care for Bill especially his aunts, Faith (Bobby) Boynt and Betty Houghtaling Coulter for their continued support and love, his co-workers, Lt. Martinez, Robert Nieto, Adabel “Bel” Garza and Sonia Rivera for all their compassion they showed Bill. The family also wants to thank David Day for taking care of his furry family and his neighbor, Emilio Ortega who was there to assist him in any way. We also want to thank his Aunt Camille who sent many prayers to Bill throughout.

Bill loved staying connected with his friends on Facebook and his final post shortly before his death stated “I have the best friends and family that are always willing to help me with my current fight with Cancer. Thanks again, staying positive.”

There will be a celebration of Bill’s life on May 15 from 5 – 7 p.m. at Buck Ashcraft Funeral Home located on 710 N. Ed Carey Drive, Harlingen.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Harlingen Humane Society located at 1106 Markowsky Ave, Harlingen, TX 78550.