Gretchen Elizabeth Wilkinson

Gretchen Elizabeth Wilkinson left us on March 4th 2026, following a courageous, unyielding battle with breast cancer. For those who knew her, that date was no accident. The only date on the calendar that is a complete sentence, a command, and what some might call a directive. March forth. That is how she faced the numerous setbacks in her treatments, participating in studies and subjecting herself to what many might view as unimaginable lengths to live. And LIVE is what she did for her short 55 years.

Born on March 15, in Quantico Virginia, as a child of a Marine, she got her first passport before she took her first school photo. Moving close to 18 times in her younger years, and despite initial protests about the constant change and leaving friends behind, she became a traveler at heart. She especially loved living in Thailand and the life-long friends she made at the International School of Bangkok. That is where she finely tuned her independence and her role as a convener, a skill she used and cultivated throughout her life. She convened friends, family and like-minds around causes and purpose.

As a daughter of New England born and raised parents, and someone who spent many years on the shores of both coasts, Gretchen loved the ocean, rain or shine, the Red Sox, win or lose, animals, domestic or wild, flowers, bright and sunny, music, live of all kinds, and mermaids, real or imagined. She never missed a chance to walk on a beach, sail on the waves or to snorkel in the depths, whether it be in Thailand, Puerto Rico or Hawaii, despite a healthy fear of fins and the foreboding two-notes every child of the 70’s hears when swimming in the ocean.

Gretchen earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder, becoming a fan of the Buff’s and the flatirons in equal measure. Be Boulder, her alma mater catch phrase, perfectly captures how she lived, gave and loved all those in her life; freely, imperfectly and in her own unique way.

Many have shared that she was a woman of many talents who readily gave of her gifts throughout the different chapters of her life. Some might say the beat she marched to was more of a meander than a drum beat, but the winding path she often traveled, and the time it took her to reach her destination, became the tapestry of her life. These are the tales of Gretchen that will linger, that will be shared and cherished by those who love her.

Her legacy of kindness touched many lives and her first job out of college at the Marilee Center in Denver, Colorado working with children in foster care was just one example of her great capacity for compassion. She worked hard to develop their trust and demonstrate a level of respect and care, something that left an imprint on her heart and she carried forward.

In her next chapter, she moved back to the DC area and threw herself into the creative aspect of her job marketing meetings for the Consumer Bankers Association. She always tried to capture the spirit and feeling of a meeting’s location to give a little joie de vivre to a drier subject matter of dollars and cents.

What turned out to be her last chapter saw her doing something that brought joy to her life and a sense of home. She was not only selling real estate in Del Ray, Alexandria, she was building community. She made Del Ray her home, she built enduring friendships, she became part of the fabric of that community and its events. She leaves a legacy of giving, supporting and neighborly camaraderie. She never met a stranger in Del Ray, just a friend in waiting.

Gretchen was preceded in death by her grandparents, Mary and Jack, and Barbara, all of Massachusetts, her beloved dogs Kylie, Jake, Callie, Pang and Buff, of many locations. She is survived by her parents, Ann and Ken of Alexandria, VA, her sister Rachel of Las Vegas, NV, her dog Mickey and numerous beloved family members along the east coast from Massachusetts to Maryland as well as other relatives across the United States. In honor of her life, a celebration following her direction to March Forth, will be scheduled for later in the spring when the flowers are in bloom and the sun is shining brighter.

For those wishing to make a contribution in memory of Gretchen, the family has chosen Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center (by secure on-line - end cancer.hopkinskimmelgiving.org - or by mail - Johns Hopkins Medicine - mailing address: Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center PO Box 17029 Baltimore, MD 21297-0243) where she received the majority of her treatments.