Mr. Gordon M. Wilkins, Jr.

Gordon M. Wilkins, Jr. (September 13, 1943 to July 14, 2023) made a peaceful
transition to his eternal rest surrounded by family after experiencing complications
from emergency surgery.

Gordon M. Wilkins, Jr. was the eldest son born to the late Dr. Gordon M. Wilkins and
Dorothy Dixon Wilkins of Charlotte, North Carolina. He was the nephew of the late
Jefferson and Purry Grigsby of Charlotte. He attended West Charlotte High School
where he graduated with honors in 1961. Despite the Jim Crow segregation, Gordon
developed a vision of a more equitable and integrated society. While in high school,
he was co-founder of the Charlotte Youth Congress which was the first interracial
youth group in Charlotte. He broke with family tradition by not attending one of
the Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Instead, he pioneered his way by
earning an academic scholarship to Whittier College in Whittier California. Gordon
graduated in 1965 with a BS in Biochemistry and BA in Political Science.

Gordon was the recipient of an academic fellowship to Columbia University in New
York City. He graduated from Columbia with a MBA in 1973. He continued his
advanced business education by earning an Executive MBA from Michigan State
University. Gordon had a successful career as an Executive at Avon Products, Inc
where he was a Senior Purchasing Agent and traveled internationally for the
company. Gordon was predeceased by his life partner Ambassador Francis V.
Vendrell, together they lived between their homes in New York, London and
Barcelona. Throughout their fifty-three-year relationship, they enjoyed traveling to
explore culture and history throughout the world.

Gordon is survived by his siblings, Elizabeth W. Morris, Malcolm D. Wilkins and
Michael G. Wilkins of Charlotte, and several nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of
national and international friends. Gordon is predeceased by his younger sister
Sharon Wilkins Forlemu and her husband Felix Forlemu. He will be laid to rest at the
York Memorial Park in Charlotte, North Carolina where there will be a gravesite
service on Thursday July 20, 2023 at 12:00 noon. As per Gordon Wilkins’ wishes in
lieu of flowers, gifts can be made in the memory of Dorothy Dixon Wilkins to the
American Cancer Society.