Fred M. Wilkes

1938 - 2015

Fred M. Wilkes was born on Sept. 27, 1938, in Fayetteville, N.C., to George and Zadie Wilkes. He moved to Alaska at age 10 with his mother; sister, Anne; and brother, Ed; joining his father, a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army, Ft. Richardson. He was raised in Anchorage, the Valley and Fairbanks, Alaska. He attended Palmer High School and Fairbanks Lathrop and graduated from West Anchorage High School. He and his brother, Ed, spent a school semester in Pleasanton, Calif., during these years and received notoriety with the high school basketball sports writers who labeled the brothers as the Gold Dust Twins. The look-alike duo just ten months apart were often mistaken for one another. Fred traveled to Las Vegas, Nev., after graduation and sang briefly with Bill Haley and the Comets, but was drafted into the Army ending a potential music career. He played football for 7th Army in Germany and was discharged, returning home to Anchorage after the 1964 earthquake. Fred worked briefly as an ironworker and served out an apprenticeship with the IBEW retiring as a journeyman wireman with 50 years service. Fred had an insatiable interest in the gold mining industry and staked many claims about Alaska, fulfilling annual labor requirements year after year. During 2013, Fred underwent treatment for vocal cord cancer and in October 2014, had a total laryngectomy at the Veterans Hospital in San Francisco, Calif. He returned to Alaska seemingly recovered, but his cancer metastasized and he departed life as we know it on Aug. 3, 2015. Fred is survived by his son, Gilbert Burnett and Gil's mother, Mary Lou Coddington; by his daughters, Brooke Wilkes and Raine Levinsohn and their mother, Murlene Wilkes; by his son-in-law, Al Levinsohn; his nephew, Bill Wilkes; and his niece, Donde Becker. He was preceded in death by his father, George Wilkes; his mother, Zadie Mae Wilkes; his brother, Ed Wilkes; and his sister, Anne Becker. Services will be held at Janssen Evergreen Memorial Chapel, 737 E Street in Anchorage on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, at 2 p.m., with a reception at 3 p.m. at the Kincaid Grill. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Fred's name to the Alaska Miners Association, 121 West Fireweed Lane, #120, Anchorage, AK 99503. Arrangements are with Janssen's Evergreen Memorial Chapel.