Eloise Harden Wilkinson was born on February 21, 1938 in Accomack County, Virginia. Her family moved to Maryland, when she was a young girl, where she remained the rest of her life. She graduated from Catonsville High School in 1956 and then attended Maryland Institute of Art. Eloise married D. Hugh Wilkinson, Jr. in 1958. Hugh stated calling her Ellie and that nickname stayed with her the rest of her life. They were very active in Shriners International where she was First Lady of Boumi Temple (now Boumi Shrine Center) when Hugh was Potentate in 1994. They dedicated countless hours to Boumi, which ultimately supports Shriners Hospitals for Children. Ellie was a remarkable seamstress and crafter as well as an excellent carpenter. There wasn’t anything she couldn’t accomplish with a sewing machine. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2001 and was a steadfast supporter of the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Ellie was the loving wife of the late D. Hugh Wilkinson, Jr.; beloved mother of Jani W. Jacobs and her husband Dan, and Douglas H. Wilkinson, III and his wife Molly; Dear sister of Walpert “Wally” Harden and the late Marshall “Sonny” Harden; cherished grandmother of 3 grandchildren.
Services and interment private. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy maybe directed in Mrs. Wilkinson’s memory to Parkinson's Foundation, 200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131 or Shriners Hospitals for Children, Attn: Processing Center, PO Box 947765, Atlanta, GA 30394.
