Rev. Forrest Alden Wilkins

Forrest Wilkins passed from this life into the arms of his Savior Jesus Christ on July 6th, 2026. He was born in Conroe, Texas on August 5th, 1935, to John Paul and Evelyn Freida (Reifschneider) Wilkins. Forrest grew up and spent his early adult life in Houston.

Forrest was quite the entrepreneur from a young age. As a child he sold cinnamon oil-coated toothpicks and pieces of sugar cane wrapped in foil to his friends. He had a long and successful newspaper route using his bicycle in the neighborhood. His next job was at Lennox Pharmacy in Houston delivering to customers and serving ice cream and milkshakes. He often talked about that first real job.

His family attended the First Methodist Church in downtown Houston. This was the home church for his parents and grandparents. He met his future wife Sabra Patricia (Pat) Owens while singing in the choir. They married on June 2, 1956. Forrest had a strong commitment to Christ and was licensed to preach by the Houston-West District of the Methodist Church and conducted youth activities at various churches while in college.

After graduating from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1953, he went on to attend and graduate from the University of Houston with a major in religion and psychology in 1957. He joined the Better Business Bureau of Houston on graduation and after five years, he was promoted into his first Executive Director position and transferred to the Better Business Bureau in Greensboro, North Carolina. After five years in Greensboro, he was transferred to the Better Business Bureau of Mobile, Alabama. In 1969, he became Executive Director of the Oklahoma City office. Seven years later, he left the BBB and served in the restaurant management industry.

They were very active in the church music programs, including chancel choir and bell choir. Forrest and Pat instilled a great love of music in their children and performed with the Civic Music Association of Greensboro, North Carolina in Handel’s Messiah and beloved musicals such as South Pacific and Pirates of Penzance.

For more than 30 years, Forrest felt the call to the ministry. He and his wife were long time members of Nichols Hills United Methodist Church. Assured that God would enable him to do what God called him to do, he began a second career as a Methodist Minister in 1991. The first church he served was Selecman United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, followed by Britton United Methodist Church. His final church assignment was Calumet United Methodist Church where he served until his retirement in 2005. He loved each of his congregations and treated them like family.

About his service, Forrest said, “God knows who we are and takes us just as we are. We cannot do it alone. But through the strength of the Holy Spirit, we can do much more than we ever thought we could. His grace is equal to our every need, and He gives us that grace every day when we do His work and seek His will.”

Throughout his life, Forrest had a strong commitment to service and civic duty. He was a member of the Mobile Advertising and Sertoma Clubs, Rotary Club of Oklahoma City, the American Society of Association Executives, the Yukon Chamber of Commerce and the Retired Methodist Ministers Organization and volunteered his time in the community where needs were greatest.

Forrest also had a strong commitment to family and friends. He was a kind, loving and caring man who had an exceedingly positive outlook on life. He had a big personality, never knew a stranger and loved to joke around. He enjoyed sharing stories and laughing until the end of his life. He was a faithful caregiver and cared for his father, mother-in-law and wife until the end of their lives.

Forrest moved to Epworth Villa in 2021 and enjoyed a wonderful life for five years. He enjoyed singing in the choir and playing poker twice a week with a very special group of friends. The family would like to thank the staff at Epworth Villa for the love and care they showed Forrest for the last five years. We would especially like to thank the staff of Household 2 and Mercy Hospice for the care and compassion given to our dad.

Forrest was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 64 years, Sabra Patricia Wilkins, his sister Judy Wilkins Upton and two sons-in-law Bob Dean Thompson and Dick Stillinger. He is survived by daughters Melanie (Dick) Stillinger, Evelyn (Marvin) Green, and son Forrest (Cherrie) Wilkins of Virginia as well as seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren whom he deeply loved.

In the spirit of Forrest’s commitment to service, donations to Skyline Urban Ministry in his name would be much appreciated.

Visitation will be held at Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper, 6600 Broadway Extension, Oklahoma City, OK 73116, on July 14, 2026, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

A committal service will take place at Rose Hill Burial Park, 6001 NW Grand Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73118, on July 15, 2026, at 9:00 am.

A memorial service will be held at Epworth Villa, 14901 N Pennsylvania Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73134, on July 15, 2026, at 10:30 am.