TITLE: In memory of William B. Wilkerson of Austin.

SUMMARY: In memory of William B. Wilkerson of Austin.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, A remarkable life drew to a close with the death of veteran Texas newspaperman William B. Wilkerson of Austin on April 30, 2015, at the age of 86; and WHEREAS, Bill Wilkerson was born on April 12, 1929, to James and Alma Wilkerson; as the son of the owner and publisher of the Comanche Chief in Comanche, the young Mr. Wilkerson already had ink in his veins, and he went to work at the paper as a printer's devil at the age of eight; and WHEREAS, At The University of Texas, Mr. Wilkerson met the love of his life, Judith Blanton; they were married in 1950 and went on to share 65 years together; the parents of three children, David, Katie, and Noel, they were blessed with six grandchildren and a great-granddaughter; and WHEREAS, After graduating from UT in 1951, Mr. Wilkerson joined the U.S. Air Force, serving at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, and he and his new bride made the most of their time in New York, taking in Broadway plays, picnicking in Central Park, and attending games of the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers; and WHEREAS, In 1956, Mr. Wilkerson returned to Comanche to become the editor of the family newspaper, and he and his wife also bought the De Leon Free Press,which they ran until 1998; in 1974, they sold their interest in the Comanche Chief and purchased the Pleasanton Express;over the past 41 years, the paper has won numerous awards from the South Texas Press Association and the Texas Press Association, including the 2007 STPA Sweepstakes and the 2014 Sweepstakes of both the TPA and the Texas Gulf Coast Press Association; and WHEREAS, Mr. Wilkerson served the STPA as president in the late 1960s and as secretary/treasurer from 1985 to 2004, when he was unanimously voted permanent assistant treasurer; Mr. and Mrs. Wilkerson together won the STPA's Distinguished Service Award and Martin L. "Red" Gibson Award, and in 1985 they were also recognized as the Couple of the Year by the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce; and WHEREAS, Although the Pleasanton Express remains in the Wilkerson family, Mr. and Mrs. Wilkerson retired from its daily management in 1989 and moved to Austin, where they pursued an active life and enjoyed the best the city has to offer, including UT sports and Eeyore's Birthday Party; Mr. Wilkerson also delighted in family trips to England, Europe, Las Vegas, and Port Aransas, and until the end of his life he remained passionate about Texas professional sports, Broadway musicals, playing dominoes, and gardening; and WHEREAS, Known to his countless friends as "Super" and "Wild Bill," Mr. Wilkerson greeted every man he met with "Hello, my friend!" and every woman with "Good God, you're gorgeous!"; he remained passionately devoted to his wife, writing her a love note on every birthday and anniversary, and he was a devoted father and grandfather; and WHEREAS, Bill Wilkerson lived his whole life without the brakes on, sharing with all who knew him his good humor, his gusto, and his generosity of spirit, and he will forever be a source of inspiration to those he leaves behind; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of William B. Wilkerson and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife, Judith Blanton Wilkerson; to his children, David B. Wilkerson and his wife, Sherry Sekula Wilkerson, Katie Wilkerson Carnes and her husband, Les Carnes, and Noel Wilkerson Holmes and her husband, Noel Spencer Holmes; to his sisters, Alma Jean Wilkerson Wetzel and Nancy Wilkerson Barton; to his sister-in-law, Carol Blanton Greenlee; to his grandchildren, William and Katherine Wilkerson, Will and Zach Holmes, and Alexandra and Avery Lewis; to his great-granddaughter, Aaliyah Wilkerson Palmer; to his nieces and nephews, Lynn Wetzel Birran, Jimmy Wilkerson, Marsha Wilkerson Williams, Buzz and Bill Barton, Michael and David Wimert, Brooke Wimert Hanson, David Greenlee, and Katherine Greenlee Ulhorn; and to his other relatives and many friends; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Bill Wilkerson. Guillen Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 3019 was unanimously adopted by a rising vote of the House on May 30, 2015. Chief Clerk of the House