Reverend George Albert Wilkinson, Jr, J.D., 89, of Avenue, MD passed away on April 16, 2023 at home.
He was born on September 9, 1933, in Washington, D.C. to the late George Albert Wilkinson, Sr. and Lillian (Hayden) Wilkinson in Washington, D.C. He was married to his high school sweetheart, Mary Anne Reilly, for 38 years until her death in 1996.
He is survived by his children: Anne Rajagopalan (Shrin) of Raleigh, NC, Mary Regina “Jean” Wilkinson (Keith) of Warrenton, VA, Thomas Wilkinson (Jennifer) of Avenue, MD, Kathleen Carmody (Brennan) of Glen Allen, VA, Rose Crunkleton (Joe) of Owings, MD, Bernadette Wilkinson of Tucson, AZ, George Wilkinson III (Jen) of Bellingham, WA, James Wilkinson II (Nipa) of Berwyn Heights, MD, Rebecca Wilkinson (Joy) of Oceanside, CA, John Wilkinson (Violet) of Colonial Beach, VA, Daniel Wilkinson of Temple Hills, MD, and Megan Wilkinson of San Francisco, CA; sisters, Joan Craft (Gary) of Bradenton, FL and Susan Burgoyne (Jerry) of Prescott, AZ; sister-in-law, Maureen Owens of Henderson, NV, 29 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren and another on the way. In addition to his parents and his wife, Mary Anne, he was preceded in death by his sister, Eleanor “Louise” Keegan.
Father Wilkinson was an attorney for 35 years with a small general law practice in Hyattsville, Maryland. Even while running a small business and supporting his ever-growing family, he made the time to serve as President of elementary and middle school PTA’s and was an active member of the College Park Rotary Club for many years.
His early years were split between his family home in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington DC, and the family’s historic country property, AKA “Down the Country” near Avenue, MD, on the banks of his beloved St. Clement’s Bay, where he ultimately passed into everlasting glory.
His attended high school at St. John’s College High School in Northwest DC, when he first met young Mary Anne Reilly at a Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) Sadie Hawkins Dance. He was smitten, and they agreed to set aside their individual plans to become a priest and nun, respectively, to join in holy matrimony and start a family. They wed in 1957.
His undergraduate years were spent at Georgetown University, for which his 12 UM Terrapin children forgive him. From 1957-1959 he served as an officer in the US Army at Ft. Devens, Massachusetts. Later he attended Catholic University Law School, entering the DC and Maryland Bar in 1964.
A devout Catholic, following Mary Anne’s death in 1996 he again felt called to the priesthood. Fr. Wilkinson was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate on May 20, 2000. After seminary studies at Pope John XXIII Seminary in Weston, Massachusetts, he was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington in Saint Matthew’s Cathedral on June 9, 2001. As an ordination gift, his children presented him with a chalice, with his and his wife’s wedding bands affixed.
Father Wilkinson was first assigned to Saint Andrew the Apostle Parish in Silver Spring, Maryland; then in 2003 as Parochial Vicar to Sacred Heart Parish in La Plata, Maryland. In 2005, he was appointed Parochial Administrator of Holy Redeemer Parish in College Park, Maryland and as Pastor in 2006. Upon his retirement from the priesthood on July 6, 2012, he moved west to assist in parishes in Globe, San Carlos and Yuma, Arizona to minister to Native Americans, an area of lifelong passion for him and his wife. He then traveled extensively to take advantage of free lodging among the diaspora of his family, and eventually settled in St. Mary’s County, returning Down the Country for good. The final mass he attended was the Mass of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. He was called home by the Lord on the Sunday of Divine Mercy.
Fun Fact: Fr. Wilkinson had received last rites as a teenager during a serous bout with Typhoid. Therefore, by the time he was 68, he had received all seven Holy Sacraments!
The family will receive friends on Friday, April 21, 2023 for a viewing from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. with a prayer service at 3:00 p.m., at Holy Redeemer Church, 4902 Berwyn Road, College Park, MD 20740. There will be a Vigil Mass to follow at 7:30 p.m. A second viewing will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2023 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m., at Holy Redeemer Church. Interment will be held at 3:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Cemetery, 23080 Maddox Road, Bushwood, MD 20618.
The family asks you please consider memorial contributions to:
St. Joseph’s Indian School, P.O. Box 100, Chamberlain, SD 57325 or online at:
https://give.stjo.org/site/Donation2?df_id=6740&6740.donation=form1&autologin=true&s_src=tnd
Holy Angels Church, 21340 Colton Point Road, Avenue, MD 20609, or online at:
https://membership.faithdirect.net/MD788
Holy Redeemer Church and School, 4902 Berwyn Road, College Park, MD 20740, or online at:
https://membership.faithdirect.net/MD504
Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.
