Huey was born on November 2, 1944, in Groesbeck, Texas, to Earl Pinkney Wilkinson I and Vivien Elaine née Roach. After graduating from Tivoli-Austwell High School in May 1963, Huey studied commercial arts at Victoria Jr. College and Sam Houston State University.
Huey was a decorated Vietnam Veteran, enlisting in the regular Army in December 1966 and completing basic training in Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk), Louisiana, before attending Advanced Individual Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and Officer Candidate School in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in 1967. His first assignment was as platoon leader in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Huey deployed to the Republic of Vietnam in November 1968, where he served as a First Lieutenant, Corps of Engineers, before returning to the United States in October 1969. Huey’s military decorations included the Army National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, and two Overseas Service Bars. Huey was released from active duty as Captain in September 1970 and honorably discharged from standby reserve on 31 December 1972.
Huey met the love of his life and future bride, Velores Lynn née Benton, his “Flower Feet,” of Cuero, Texas, in an oil painting class at Victoria Jr. College. Huey and Velores were married at the Methodist Church in Killeen, Texas, in May 1967, and settled in Roman Forest, Texas, where they raised two children, Lanette and Earl.
A man of many architectural and creative talents, Huey worked as a residential construction superintendent throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, before reinventing himself as a wood worker, guitar repairman, and luthier, establishing Axehandle Guitars in 1992.
Huey meticulously designed and built guitars and other stringed instruments for friends, family, and occasional lucky Texas rocker, such as Texas country music singer/songwriter Jason Allen, jazz bassist and composer Chuck Smith, the late blues rock guitarist Mark May, and others.
It was Huey’s great joy and honor to have befriended and created musical instruments for legendary mandolinist, Paul Buskirk, before his passing in 2002, and executing the establishment of the Paul Francis Buskirk Music Scholarship at Stephen F. Austin State University, in accordance with Mr. Buskirk’s wishes. Huey worked as a manager of Fuller’s Vintage Guitars (now Fuller’s World Famous Guitars) before retiring in 2013.
Huey is survived by his wife, Velores; his daughter and son-in-law, Lanette and Tim Patterson; his son, Earl Pinkney Wilkinson II; grandchildren, Vivien Tooke, Carol Wilkinson, Kaden Wilkinson, and Joshua Wilkinson; brother, John Earl Wilkinson; nieces Dianna Harringer Palmour Long, Carla Harringer, and Cynthia Cobb Oelkers; nephews, Jonathan and Paul Wilkinson, and Sam Harringer.
Huey is preceded in death by parents, Vivien and Earl Wilkinson; sister, Faye Edna Wilson; brothers, Gene and Jimmy Harringer, and Lee Roy Wilkinson.
Graveside funeral services will be held at Tivoli Cemetery, Tivoli, Texas, at 1:00 PM Saturday, December 7, 2024, with reception to follow at the Tivoli Presbyterian Church fellowship hall located at 208 Williams St, Tivoli, TX 77990.
