Stephen A. Wilkins
Share
Let the family know you care by sharing this tribute
Rochester: Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at age 66. Predeceased by his mother, Clara ‘Billie’ Wilkins. Survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Kathryn A. Wilkins; his father, Victor Wilkins; son, Kevin Wilkins; loving family and fiends. No prior calling. His Memorial Service will be held Saturday (Jan 24th) 10:00 AM at Gates Wesleyan Church, 2060 Long Pond Rd. Private interment. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Gates Wesleyan Church or World Vision in his memory. For more information, or to sign Stephen’s online guestbook please visit www.MeesonFamily.com.
I’m sad to hear of Steve’s passing. I assumed some of his work when he retired and they were hard shoes to fill. He was incredibly intelligent and could wrangle data like no one else and I often teased him by calling him a Wizard and Mathamagician. He had a wonderful sense of humor, gentle kindness, and patience. I will miss him.
The ITS team at RIT just heard of Steve’s passing. Steve was a terrific contributor to the infrastructure here at RIT. Every students evaluation of a faculty members performance or every test that was submitted electronically here was done so by Steve’s diligence to insure the systems were running properly. Steve managed a system that no one else understood how to manage. When Steve retired in June of 2008, we pretty much stopped using that system. We will keep fond memories of Steve’s easy demeanor and go team spirit that always made working with him so positive & memorable’¦
Steve is an example to me of how to live your faith. His work ethic – legendary. His courage in the midst of health challenges – astounding. His quirky sense of humor – hilarious. Steve lived and worked through the digital revolution rarely skipping a beat. His demeanor calmed the waters for many frenzied faculty, staff and students facing digital crisis. His doggedness allowed him to master issues that many dared not tackle. Steve was the go-to person for faculty looking for a solution he could explain in English rather than acronyms. His pride in the talent and work Kathy shared and the camaraderie and intelligence of his beloved Kevin were evident in the photos on his desk, our casual conversations and whenever Kathy or Kevin stopped by our offices. On more than one occasion we delighted over Kevin’s recent joke or pun. Kathy delighted us with her music – her tribute to a colleague on an untimely passing was so sensitive and spiritual, it was clear Steve had a gift for sharing his coworkers. Blessings to Kathy and Kevin as you grieve. May you always be comforted by the intense love Steve had for you both.
Steve was a wonderful colleague. Whenever we worked with him he was patient and understanding. He spent a great deal of time educating end users with his vast IT knowledge. He knew how to speak to someone and never made them feel ignorant or less of a person. The world was a better place for having Steve in it. Please accept my sincerest condolences for your loss. He will be missed. I will remember Steve and the entire family in my thoughts and prayers.
I had the pleasure of working with Steve for several years at RIT. He was the consummate professional, never making a commitment that he did not later keep. He generosity towards colleagues who sought his help was legendary. His ability to anticipate questions and develop answers before being asked amazed and eventually humored me. He would often come into my office with a stack of papers and as I asked questions he would lay one page after another down on my desk as if we were playing a game of cards we both knew he would win. Steve possessed a rare combination of intelligence, experience and humility, along with dry and delightful sense of humor. I will miss him, but I will never forget him.
Thank you so much for posting – – I was just trying to figure out how to get in touch with you, and then I saw this. Looks like I could let you connect to me via facebook. I never use that email but I guess now I should probably check it.