Aaron Ellis Wilkins Jr.

A native of Columbus, Mississippi, and resident of Mobile for most of his life, died on January 19, 2018 at the age 89. He was a graduate of Murphy High School, attended Spring Hill College and Auburn University. His college major was in engineering and he plied his trade by keeping the F105’s flying while employed at Brookley Air Force Base. When Brookley began closing in the 1960’s, Wilkins elected not to be transferred from Mobile but took a position with Scott Paper Company as an engineering division manager. His side-line and hobby was race cars. He didn’t drive them, but he built them from the ground up. Wilkins was a child of Trinity Episcopal Church and when he wasn’t carrying the processional cross, he was singing in the junior choir. In the late 1950’s Trinity Church was desirous of starting a mission station in the Forest Hill area and the Wilkins family was one of several who signed a charter and brought St. Matthews Episcopal Church into being. There at St. Matthews, Wilkins became a lay-reader. He was called upon to serve as a lector at Grace Church in Oakdale, and at St. Pauls’, in Irvington. It bothered him that the members of the little mission stations were not able to receive the Eucharist except when a priest was in attendance and that was not very often and certainly not on occasions like Christmas and Easter. Wilkins set about making his ministry to the little places become a reality. He was granted a leave of absence from Scott Paper Company and, with his bishop’s permission, went to seminary at The University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee. When he returned, he was ordained a Deacon at Trinity Church. He served as Curate under the Rev. Ben A. Meginniss for one year and was then ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests in May of 1982. He returned to his calling to minister to small places and covered for a time St. Mary’s in Coden and at Dauphin Island. When he came to the Island, he found 11 members worshipping at borrowed altars and led by lay-readers. Within three years, he arranged to have the then unused St. Paul’s in Irvington dismantled, moved, and reassembled on the island and it became St. Francis Episcopal Church where he was the Vicar until his retirement. His plan for serving the small places by a non-stipened priest was a first for the Episcopal Diocese of the Gulf Coast in 1982. Wilkins’ retirement from St. Francis at the age of 72, was short-lived, however, as the Bishop called him into service once more and he served as the Interim-Rector of Christ Episcopal Church, in downtown Mobile; and later at St. John’s Episcopal Church. He continued for years as a supply priest wherever needed – whenever God called, Father Wilkins answered. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lucy Wilson Wilkins and Aaron Ellis Wilkins, Sr., and his wife, Annie Laura Davis Wilkins.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Virginia Bell Wilkins; one son, Richard Ellis Wilkins; one daughter, Anita Wilkins (Douglas Vilalba), two grandchildren, Donald Saranthus and Laurel Wilkins (Kevin) Phelps; and great-grandchildren, Piper Saranthus and Landon Phelps, all of Mobile; two sisters, Sarah Wilkins Baker and Linda Wilkins (Robert) Anderson, nieces nephews and other relatives.

The family will receive visitors on Thursday, January 25, 2018 from 1:00 p.m. until the 2:00 p.m. Funeral Service at Christ Church Cathedral. Interment will be in Pine Crest Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Christ Church Cathedral.