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1943 - 2017

BORN

1943

DIED

2017

About

Eureka High School

Samuel Wilkinson Obituary

SAMUEL TIMOTHY WILKINSON Born May 15, 1943 to Donald Wilkinson and Geraldine Roach Wilkinson, in Eureka. Ca. He passed away on Friday, March 24th in Concord, with his sister by his side. Tim attended Marshall Elementary, Eureka Jr. High and Eureka High School, class of 61, and Humboldt State University. He moved to San Francisco in the fall of 1965 with his friend Bryan Ogden to attend Hastings School of Law. It was here he became Sam. He started working at Safeway on Broadway in Eureka at 16 and was a devoted Safeway employee until the late nineties when he had to retire due to work related injuries. Sam loved his Oakland Raiders and loved his A's. He made sure his nephew, Trevor, was outfitted in the current team gear and attended many games and card shows. Sam/Tim was also an active River Rafter with his fellow classmate and traveling buddy, John Theilen. Sam met his lovely wife Sonia in 1991 At Oakland Spring Training (with Trevor) in Palm Springs and they were married the following December. They had a great life together working, traveling and volunteering. They were both Lions Club Officers, church members, Braille transcribers, classroom volunteers and active members of their community. Sonia's passing in January of 2015 left a big hole in Sam's heart and life. He has been in a walker or wheel chair for years, claiming at least 30 surgeries. He was always working on getting better so he could go to Palm Springs, go to more ball games, and go watch Gerry's kids and grandkids play ball. He was lucky enough to attend his 55th class reunion with friends John and Sandra last September. He is survived by his sister Gerry Tollefson and her children and their families Aarin Tollefson and JJ Katri, Abiona and Sawyer; Trevor Tollefson and Maria Spetzler, Aquene and Ella; Amy Tollefson and Roy Thomas and Harlow. And by many loving cousins, classmates and friends. A memorial service will be held on May 6th at Ygnacio Valley Presbyterian Church in Concord, Ca. Please sign the guestbook at www.times-standard.com

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Times-Standard on May 2, 2017.

Memories and Condolences
for Samuel Wilkinson

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4 Entries

Sue

February 5, 2025

I feel so fortunate to have met you and Sonia in this lifetime and I'm comforted to know you are now reunited with your beautiful wife.
Love Sue

Lowell Mengel II

May 3, 2017

Dear Gerry and the Wilkinson Family:

Tim (Sam) was as close to me as a brother.

We knew each other from Marshall School but it was debating and speech that brought us together in high school and college.

The million episodes in our lives will never be forgotten by me, and he was close to all the Mengels.

God bless the old fella. Go A's.

Joan Lee

May 2, 2017

To Tim's Family,
I'm very sorry for your loss. I was so happy Tim made it to our 55th class reunion last year! He was in great spirits as he visited from his wheelchair. He told me he was going to be working real hard to get out of the chair and walk at our 60th and he meant it. What spunk! I'm sad that won't come to be but am very grateful to have had the opportunity to give him hugs. Rest in peace, dear Tim. Joan Cunningham Lee, EHS Class of '61.

May 2, 2017

It is sad that my good friend is not here with us anymore. What a great time each of us had together from our days at Eureka High and then onto our individual lives making our way thru some terrific travels together across our wonderful country to visit friends and family.
After high school were those great spontaneous card parties held at our respective parents homes and the New Year's Eve parties!
Later, in the eighties, we found Spring Training baseball and kept up with our friendships formed in high school.
To the family, I have met many of you because our travels together, I am sorry for our loss. Such wonderful people in Utah, Arizona and Eureka.
The stories we could tell, the stories we can't tell.
It truly, was a wonderful life together as friends.

John Theilen

Showing 1 - 4 of 4 results

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