Robert Wilkinson Jr.

Lifelong Alaska resident Bob Wilkinson, 60, passed away February 18, 2013 while scuba diving near Cabo San Lucas, with his son Aaron by his side.

Bob was born July 23, 1952. His family had moved to Alaska in 1950. He grew up along Rabbit Creek and Potter Marsh in Anchorage. He was in the first graduating class at Diamond High School and graduated from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia in 1975, immediately afterward returning to Alaska. He paid his own way through college by surveying virtually the entire Alaska pipeline. He went to work for Arco Alaska in 1977 and was still employed by Conoco Phillips Alaska at Kuparuk when he died. He was a volunteer firefighter for 20 years at Kuparuk.

Bob was the very happiest flying his super cub. He spent 700 hours rebuilding Cub6MX, a Piper PA-18A which had been used as a fish spotter out of Cordova prior to being wrecked. He loved taking friends and family flight seeing to see the Alaska he loved. If salmon were running and Bob wasn't on the slope, he was flying and fishing; bringing home his limit. Some of his best adventures involve flying and fishing with Dorn David and Dave Wright. He hunted all his life; for more than 30 years each fall he hunted moose with buddies Gary Dalton and Darrel Gipe.

He was a great handyman and builder. He could fix almost anything, many times engineering a new solution that was better than the previous item. He built and remodeled many structures over the course of his lifetime, always looking forward to the next project. He was an avid gardener, he always had a beautiful garden at his cabin.

Bob was preceded in death by his younger brother, Dennis Wilkinson and his father, Robert Allen Wilkinson who passed away 6 weeks prior to Bob.

He is survived by his wife, Tempy Glenn Larew; his daughter, Roberta Wilkinson of Oakville, Washington; his son, Aaron Wilkinson of Sitka, Alaska; his step son, Ian Larew Small and daughter in law Sarah Littlefair of Palmer; his mother, Barbara Wilkinson of Cottonwood, Arizona and sister Carol Lee of Costa Rica. He was the proud grandfather of 3 grandchildren, Mathias Harold Everett Gullickson-Wilkinson, Aiden Larew Littlefair Small and Addison Mairin Littlefair Small.

Bob will be remembered by each of us that knew him and many more that were touched by his life. His ashes and those of his father will be spread at a later time at his beloved fly-in cabin on a lake along the head waters of the Deshka River.

Please join our family for a barbecue honoring Bob and his life, on Sunday, July 21st, 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. at the Palmer Elks Lodge, 2600 N. Barry's Resort Drive, Wasilla, Alaska, on Finger Lake.

RSVP to BobMemorialRSVP@gmail.com or call Tempy at 907-746-1972.