Gene A. Wilkinson, 86, died Tuesday, February 13 at his home in Madison.
Mr. Wilkinson, one of Mississippi's most senior attorneys in active practice, leaves a legacy of community service, devotion to the law, loyalty to friends and love of family.
He was the Chief Executive Officer of the law firm of Stennett, Wilkinson & Peden where he managed the firm's business activities in addition to practicing law. His law practice was concentrated in the fields of corporate, administrative, and insurance regulatory law, and he often provided counsel to business executives and state and local government officials.
Just hours before his death, Mr. Wilkinson was working in his law office to complete a project for one of his clients. "Whether serving a client, the community or his friends and family, Gene was committed to never leaving a job unfinished," said James Peden, Gene's longtime friend and law partner.
In addition to his beloved wife of 64 years, Peggy Joyce Cooper Wilkinson, he is survived by his son Alan (Mitzi) Wilkinson, of Madison, grandson Lake, of Madison, grand-daughters Shelby Wallace Terrell (Austin), of Jackson, and Delaney Wallace, of Madison, and cousins June Evans of Greenwood, Leslie Ann Sherrill of Coptell, Tx. and Patsy DiMuzio of Alexander, Va.
He was preceded in death by his parents, W.P. "Mac" and Johnnie McElroy, and his wife's parents Captain and Mrs. I.W. Cooper.
Mr. Wilkinson was born January 20, 1932 in Crystal Springs, grew up on a farm in Copiah County and graduated from Crystal Springs High School in 1950. He then entered Millsaps College where he was news editor of the Purple & White newspaper and graduated with a political science degree in 1954.
He earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1957 from the Jackson School of Law (now the Mississippi College School of Law) and was admitted to the Mississippi Bar in 1958.
Throughout his career, he was active in civic, governmental, and professional matters. He served as Public Relations Director of the Mississippi Bar, Editor of Mississippi Lawyer (the official publication of the Mississippi Bar), and Executive Legal Assistant to the Governor of Mississippi. He is a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation.
He served five terms as President of the Jackson Council on Alcoholism and 12 years as Chairman of the Governor's Prayer Breakfast. He also was a Director of the Mississippi Children's Home Society, United Way, CONTACT and several other civic organizations.
Mr. Wilkinson played key roles in government and Mississippi politics.
He was state manager for the 1966 reelection campaign of U.S. Senator Jim Eastland and remained a close confidant of Senator until the Senator's death in 1983.
From 1962 until 1987, a period of 25 years, he served as Chairman of the Jackson Civil Service Commission under four different mayors.
By appointment of Governors Bill Waller and Bill Allain, Mr. Wilkinson served as Chairman of the Mississippi Employment Security Commission from 1974 until 1978 and 1986 until1990.
He was both a Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner, and he served as the Chairman of the Board of a life insurance company.
Mr. Wilkinson and Peggy were communicants at St. Colum's Episcopal Church in Ridgeland. He served on the Vision and Planning Committee for the Church and served a term as St. Columb's Chancellor.
In addition to his passion for the law and community service, Mr. Wilkinson was an avid reader and loved cooking and spending time with the wife and family at the beach in Destin.
Visitation will be from 10:30am - 12:00pm Saturday, February 17, 2018 at St. Columb's Episcopal Church in Ridgeland followed by a memorial service at 12:00pm.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to St. Columb's Episcopal Church, 550 Sunnybrook Road, Ridgeland, MS 39157; Community Place, 1129 Langley Ave, Jackson, MS 39204, or the Stennett, Wilkinson & Peden Scholarship in Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law through the University of Mississippi Foundation.