Rev. Joseph Joe Dennis Wilkins Sr.

Reverend Joseph Dennis Wilkins, Sr. was born May 3, 1941 in Suffolk, Virginia to Will Dennis and Mary Elizabeth Brinkley Wilkins. He had three siblings, Peggy Ann Wilkins, Dorothy Lee Wilkins Savage, and James Allen Wilkins. He was raised in Suffolk, Virginia and graduated from Suffolk High School in 1959. He joined the United States Army in February 1960 where he served for three years, including a deployment to Korea.

On Christmas Day in 1960, he married the love of his life, Patricia Ann Wortham Wilkins, and they remained married for 53 1/2 years.

On January 21, 1962, he became a father for the first time to a daughter, Laura Ann. Not too far behind came his sons, Joseph Dennis "Denny" Wilkins, Jr. who was born on December 17, 1963 and Kenneth Wayne "Kenny" Wilkins who was born on August 5, 1965.

After his service in the Army, Joe was employed by Southland Life Insurance Company until he was called into the ministry and on August 2, 1972, he received his license to preach. He pastored for over 40 years and served in churches in Murfreesboro, NC; Waynesboro, VA; Amherst and Gladstone, VA; Salem, VA; Amelia, VA; Front Royal, VA; and Lynchburg, VA where he retired in February 2005.

Joe loved his family and besides his wife and children, he had five grandchildren, Jaime, Melanie, "Little" Joe, Katie and Liz, who lovingly called him "Graddy". From those grandchildren he had eight great grandchildren. Even after retiring from pastoring, Joe continued to evangelize until his health prevented him from doing so.

Joe, until the end, loved God and even as his heath deteriorated and he was placed in a nursing facility, he could be heard trying to preach and sing the hymns he so loved.

On May 16, 2014, the battle he fought for so long came to an end and he was called home to be with the Lord.

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Rev. Joseph D. Wilkins, Sr. (Joe), 73, of Lynchburg, passed away, Friday, May 16, 2014, at Avante Nursing Center after a long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease and Cancer.

Joe was a retired pastor of the Church of God where he had pastored for over 40 years, and was loved and respected by many. He was also a veteran of the U.S. Army, where he served in Korea.

Joe was predeceased by his parents, Will D. and Mary Brinkley Wilkins.

Joe is survived by his wife of 53 years, Patricia A. Wilkins, and three children; a daughter, Laura A. Brown and husband Larry of Amherst and two sons, Joseph D. Wilkins, Jr. of Gladys and Kenneth W. Wilkins and friend Kysa George of Reston.

Joe is also survived by five grandchildren, Jaime J. Justus and husband Chris of Gladstone; Melanie J. Mays and husband Jason of Gladstone; Joseph A. Wilkins and wife Daisy of Western Port, MD; Katie L. Wilkins and mother Missy Wilkins of Front Royal; Elizabeth Cross and husband Paul of Hernando, FL; sixteen great grandchildren; sister, Dorothy Lee Savage of Virginia Beach and brother James Allen Wilkins and wife Barbara of Suffolk; four nieces and one nephew; his mother-in-law, Marie P. Wortham and his faithful dog Buddy, and many loving friends!

The family will be accepting friends and family at Whitten Timberlake Chapel, 4-6 p.m., Sunday, May 18, 2014, and at other times at the home. Funeral services will be held, 3:00 p.m., Monday, May 19, 2014 at Whitten Timberlake Chapel with Pastor Bill Evans officiating. Interment will follow at Presbyterian Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Amazing Grace Pentecostal Holiness Church for the missions program.

Joe was a graduate of Suffolk High School, and his favorite saying was, “I’m peanut born and peanut bred, and when I die I’ll be a peanut dead, Rah, Rah Suffolk!”