Daniel E. Wilkes

Daniel Eugene Wilkes was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in both his approach to life and in his various relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of "stick-to-it" attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Dan was realistic about life and was always at the ready, prepared to take on any responsibility that faced him. Dan had a unique sense of humor. He was a very intelligent man and loved his family more than anything. His children were extremely important to him and he was so very proud of them.

      Dan came into the world on March 17, 1936. He first greeted the world in Hutchinson, Texas. He grew up in Terrell, Texas. Dan experienced many things while growing up. Dan loved to fish, was in the Boy Scouts,4H Club, played football in high school and delivered the towns newspaper. He was the son of William and Velma Wilkes. Dan had a great childhood and loved his parents very much. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Growing up, Dan was good at working through the usual family problems and spats when they appeared. He was the one person in the family who seemed to be the most able to keep the stress at bay. He was raised with two sisters Judy and Lynette. He was the type of person who seemed to be constantly involved in activities with the other members of his family. Dan and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up, but he was always consistently loyal to them.

      As a young child, Dan was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Instead, he was willing to wait to be asked to join in. When asked, he would generally jump at the chance.

       Dan developed a variety of interests as a child. And many of the things he enjoyed doing, he did quite well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it.

       Though he wasn’t an overtly outgoing child, he did manage to be involved in a number of different areas. He was a member of 4-H Club, and Boy Scouts. As a child, he played football. His hobbies included riding bicycles, frog gigging, and fishing.

       Dan was somewhat reserved about his relationships, but those who became his friends understood that he was true and loyal.

       He grew up in a house in the suburbs.

     He was often cautious and careful about the people with whom he became close. There had to be some kind of spark for a relationship to develop. But there were more than sparks, there was magic when Dan met Patricia Ann Wilkes. Dan and Pat met at a motorcycle restaurant. They went for a motorcycle ride.

       The couple exchanged vows on June 28, 1958. This marked the beginning of their time together as a family. They went to Reno, Nevada with another couple.

       Following the ceremony, Pat and Dan managed to spend some time together on their honeymoon.

       Compassionate and devoted to Pat, Dan held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Pat, and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy, no matter where they called home.

      Dan brought the same traditional values by which he lived his life to how he raised his own family. He was a good parent, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. He was also a walking schedule. He always seemed to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. He had two children, Kathleen Wilkes and Daniel Wilkes. Dan was a very devoted and loving Dad. The children would often fill Dan with pride and joy because of their accomplishments.

       The family had two pets , their dogs Snuffy, and Ivan.

       Dan tried his best to make sure the children were raised in a warm and nurturing environment. Their house was Navy Housing as Dan was in the Military. He was also very traditional about the holidays and vacations on which the family went. Later on in life, he was also blessed with two grandchildren, Haley Wilkes and Danielle Albright.

      Dan greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same work ethic from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in just about every situation; this included small groups, one-on-one situations as well as solo tasks. He enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy or unclear information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, he was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to details, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. While he worked at several jobs over his lifetime, his primary occupation was in the military, he retired from the USS Navy, and Bremerton Navel Shipyard Civil Service. Probably the most unique or interesting job Dan ever held was Submarine Service.

       Dan worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary to meet objectives. He was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done, even if that meant going the extra mile. He served his basic training in San Diego, California. While serving his country he went to Nuclear Power School in California, and Idaho. He served at bases in San Diego, Pearl Harbor, Vallejo, CA., and Hunters Point, CA. He earned not only the respect of his fellow servicemen and women, but also was presented with various awards, including the Silver Star. During his time in the service he became friends with Gary and Glenda Johnson, and Mick and Annie Michelson. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Dan seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job at hand.

      Dan liked to experience things firsthand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies. He was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Dan always tried to set aside a certain amount of time for working on his hobbies. Some of these hobbies included fishing, bowling, and putting model ships together. When it came to cuisine, he particularly enjoyed fish, hamburgers, and pizza. He also enjoyed watching his favorite athletes and sporting events, especially football, basketball, baseball, and Nascar races.

      Dan was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith.He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

      Dan Wilkes left us on June 9, 2011. He passed away at his home. He was 75 years old. The cause of death was COPD. He was preceded in death by father Bill Wilkes, and step-father Wilson Jones. He is survived by mother, Velma Jones, wife Pat Wilkes,son Danny Wilkes, daughter Kathi Wilkes, granddaughter Haley Wilkes, granddaughter Danielle Albright, and many nieces and nephews. Services were handled by Weaver Funeral Home.

      Many would say that "commitment" is a word that best describes the life of Daniel Eugene Wilkes. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from others. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.