Go, go, go defined Jerry…to say he was "Type A'' would be an understatement. Whether it was packing up his family of 5 for annual trips to Europe and Mexico, taking his whole clan (grandkids and friends included) for epic trips to France, or just speeding around his retirement home on his motorized wheelchair, Jerry was always on the go.
Jerry was born in Oklahoma City during the depression to L.J. and Gertrude Wilkes. He was probably the "uh-oh" child, since his brothers Travis and Jack were 12 and 10 years older than him. Due to the times, he became a saver at a young age. He told a story of saving his money to buy a bag of candy and rationing it to one piece per day – as a little kid! That kind of discipline defined his life.
He graduated from Capitol Hill High School and played on their state championship football team in 1949. He received a football scholarship to the University of Oklahoma and played for legendary coach Bud Wilkinson. He would say that Bud was very much the CEO of the team, and he let his assistant coaches do all the yelling. He had great respect for Coach Wilkinson and "never wanted to let him down." He earned a BBA at OU and was in Army ROTC. He later served in the Army Reserves, attaining the rank of Captain.
After college, he joined his father and brothers in the family food manufacturing business, Zestee Foods. In the early 1970's, he started a new career and formed Wilkes and Associates Real Estate Brokerage. He began selling, developing, and managing commercial real estate. Jerry later formed Bristol Properties, LLC, along with his three daughters, who continue to own and manage much of the real estate he developed and acquired.
In addition to his love of travel, he was a voracious reader, passionate about wine, and an opera aficionado. He indulged his family and friends, alike, in all of his passions. Jerry and his beloved wife, Putsie, had friends near and far…a dinner club of longtime friends…Sunday school friends from both Chapel Hill and Capitol Hill United Methodist churches…many friends made through business…travel companions and friends they made on their many adventures.
While Jerry certainly loved all of the aforementioned, what he loved the most was his family. Every birthday and every holiday were celebrated in their household. When his daughters were children, he threw them elaborate birthday parties, many of which were the stuff of legend. Since Vickie's birthday was in late October, her Halloween-themed birthday parties were epic and scared all the little kids to death, so much so they never wanted to come to our house the rest of the year for fear it was haunted!
When the grand kids arrived on the scene, Jerry was able to fully indulge his inner child. With his boundless energy and love of history and travel, he was able to spin the most imaginative stories and conjure up the best adventures. "The Patriarch," as the grandkids sometimes referred to him, could make a pile of dirt and rocks into the Valley of the Kings! He and Putsie had loads of fun babysitting their "perfect" grandchildren. Some of their most memorable activities and trips included fishing trips to Colorado and Canada; summers at Lake Eufaula; road trips to see multiple pro-baseball games; nights at the opera and musicals; a Caribbean cruise; a trip to New Orleans; and two very memorable vacations in France. Life was always more fun with DaDa and DeeDaw!
Jerry raised a devoted clan of Sooner fans…12 immediate members are OU graduates. His sons-in-law and grandkids loved hearing his football stories about living in "Jeff" house and playing with a legend like Billy Vessels. We are now "breaking in" the fourth generation by taking them to football games and, of course, OU/TX. Jerry would be proud.
Jerry's family are so happy that he made it to his 93 rd birthday in May. He was a towering figure in all of our lives and will be greatly missed. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 56 years, Eleanor "Putsie" Wilkes. He is survived by his daughters and their husbands, Vickie and Richard Freeman, Liz and Larry Myers, and Jacque and Allen Wright; grandchildren and their spouses, Rick and Ashlee Freeman, Katie and Lt. Col. Chuck Price, USAF, Brookes and Emily Wright, and David and Romina Wright. He also had 6 great-grandchildren: Elle and Reece Freeman, A.J. and Charlotte Price, and Tripp and Leighton Wright. Since we all live in Oklahoma City and Edmond, we were all a part of our Daddy's and Dada's life until the end, and we are very thankful for that.
We would like to thank the kind and caring staff of Touchmark at Coffee Creek for their many years of taking care of Daddy. We also need to thank Life Spring Hospice for their support in the last months of his life. James Rainey was a devoted and caring friend to Daddy during the last several years, and we are very grateful for him.
Jerry was cremated, and we will be spreading his ashes, along with Putsie's, during a private family ceremony in a place that was special and meaningful to them. The family requests that donations be made in his memory to Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.