Joseph Wilkinson II

Joseph Wilkinson II

Joseph M. Wilkinson II, Architect and Jazz pianist died on December 16, 2020 at the age of 96 after a short battle with COVID-19. His constant smile and ability to always see things in a positive manner will be missed.

Joe was preceded in death by his sister, Marilyn Cox and his parents. He is survived by his wife, Chris, and his sons, Joe (Susan) of Tulsa and John of Tulsa. He is also survived by his step-children, Patty (Graddy) and George McCurry of Tulsa, Michael and Pam (Everett) Graddy of Tulsa, Casey and Diane (Winter) Graddy of Des Plaines, IL, and Peter Graddy of Fort Meyers, FL. Joe is also survived by 16 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

Born on February 22, 1924 in Buffalo, New York, to Joseph G. and Marian (Pitcher) Wilkinson, Joe started piano lessons at age 12 and quickly became quite proficient. In 1938, his family moved to Tulsa. where he graduated from Central High School in 1941.

In the fall of 1941, Joe began college at the University of Arkansas in Civil Engineering. When Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1942, he enlisted in the Army. Because of his ability to type and play piano, Joe was transferred to Fort Sam Houston where he joined the 304th Battalion Signal Operation and trained in message coding/decoding. He spent time in the Philippines and the South Pacific. Joe credits his survival in the war to his ability to type because 11 of the 18 members of his Rifleman squad were killed during the Battle of the Bulge.

Returning to the States after the war, Joe resumed his studies at the University of Arkansas. Switching to the newly formed School of Architecture, he received his degree in 1950.

Numerous buildings throughout northeast Oklahoma were designed by Joe, including a large number of houses around Grand Lake where he had moved in the late 1970's to spend more time on his sailboat. He was a fierce competitor in sailboat racing, and won numerous trophies over several years in the Duck Creek area.

He moved back to Tulsa in the mid-2000's and continued to practice architecture, although he started devoting more time to his piano playing.

Joe was a well-known figure around the Jazz Depot, and enjoyed Tuesday nights at the weekly Jazz/Blues Jam Session. He also produced and performed in an annual Memorial Day "Salute to Veterans" concert at the Jazz Depot for years.

A memorial service is tentatively scheduled for the summer or fall of 2021. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made in Joe's memory to the Jazz Hall of Fame, Tulsa.

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