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Thomas Frank Wilkinson

 

   Funeral services for former Vernon resident Thomas Frank Wilkinson, 84, of Longview will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, July 9, 2016 at Greggton United Methodist Church in Longview with Rev. Ricky Ricks officiating. Services are under the direction of Rader Funeral Home of Longview. Wilkinson died on  Monday, July 4, 2016 at his home in Longview. Graveside services will be held at 3 p.m., Saturday, July 9, 2016, at Grove Hill Cemetery in Leonard.
   The son of the late Harl Lee and Roma Wilkinson, Wilkinson graduated from Vernon High School and Southern Methodist University with a degree in mechanical engineering. He served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War.  Early in his career, he worked for Chance Vought Aircraft as an instrumentation engineer. He worked for North American Aviation, Rocketdyne Division in the design and development of missile propulsion, and NASA’s Apollo Program.  He later joined Texas Instruments as a Senior Design Engineer where he worked on the development of many of the technologies used today.  Wilkinson was an aviation enthusiast, a private pilot, a master gardener, avid bicyclist and in his retirement he taught high school Drafting and Auto Cad and worked with the Robotics Team.
   Wilkinson is survived by his wife, Linda, son Glen Wilkinson of Garland, daughters Julie Palmer of St. Simons Island, Ga., Jana Wilkinson of Alpine, and Jennifer Meadows of Longview; brothers  Lee Wilkinson of Vernon, Ted Wilkinson of Colorado, sisters Kathryn Hindman  of San Antonio and Carol Baldwin of Roanoke, seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
   A memorial guestbook may be signed online at www.raderfh.com.

 

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