On Monday, May 9th, 2022, Alto Eugene Wilkerson, Sr. passed away of natural causes at the age of 94 in the home of his daughter, Pamela Wilkerson Land, his son-in-law, Michael Aaron Land, Sr, and grandson, Nolan Eugene Hayes.
“Gene”, as he was known to family and friends, was born in Houston County, Alabama to Eva Mae Casey and Cauley Jewel Wilkerson.
He graduated from Baker High School in 1945, and entered the Navy the same year, serving in WWII. Gene served on the cruiser USS Chicago, and later transferred to the destroyer USS McCook to be on the same ship as his brother, C. J. Wilkerson. He was a radarman and filled in as quartermaster where he assisted with the ship’s navigation. One of his primary duties as quartermaster was to chart foreign objects and debris in the ocean. After active duty, Gene continued to serve his country in the Naval Reserve for sixteen and a half years, which extended into the era of the Korean War conflict.
On February 25, 1950, Gene married Mattie Pearl Gibbons. Together they raised three daughters, Peggy, Pamela, and Gina, and one son, Al. Gene was fond of saying, “I think my children think a lot of me.” And he was right. He was devoted to his family and they were devoted to him.
Gene worked at United Insurance Company of America for 28 years as a debit salesman. He had a great facility for mental math, and often made bets with the men in the office comparing his accuracy to that of a calculator. He always, always won. For fun, he added telephone numbers on billboards and calculated the square root in his head.
If there is one characteristic that describes him that one word would be storyteller. Gene loved to reminisce about his past and his memories that extended back to the year after he was born. He used to say his memories were so vivid he felt like they were happening at the moment of his recollection. He was an avid reader. He especially enjoyed reading war and espionage novels. Gene loved to laugh and hear others laugh as well, which goes back to the way he told stories. He was a walking encyclopedia of sports facts and statistics, especially those involving his favorites, the Atlanta Braves and Alabama football.
Alto Wilkerson was preceded in death by his parents, Eva and Cauley, and his wife, Pearl. He is survived by his daughters: Peggy Wilkerson Heitmann and her husband, Frank Heitmann, Pamela Wilkerson Land, and her husband, Michael A Land Sr, Gina Wilkerson Pulliam, and her husband, Scott Pulliam; his son, Alto Eugene Wilkerson, Jr., and his wife, Brenda Wilkerson. He is survived by eight grandchildren: Stuart Allen Gambill, Derek Wilkerson Gambill, Alana Pearl Gambill, David Nicholas Hayes, Nolan Eugene Hayes, Christopher Scott Pulliam, Savannah Michelle Pulliam Grigg, and Taylor Locke Pulliam. Gene leaves behind nine greatgrandchildren.
Graveside services will be held in Parkhill Cemetery on Saturday, May 21st at 2pm.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.shcolumbus.com for the Wilkerson family.
