Robert "Bob" Norman Wilkinson Jr.

Robert N. “Bob” Wilkinson, Jr., 79, of Amarillo, TX passed away peacefully on Monday, April 21, 2025.

Memorial services will be at 3:00 p.m., Thursday, April 24, 2025, at First Presbyterian Church where he was a member, with the Rev. Dr. Howard Griffin officiating. Burial will be private. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors, 2800 Paramount Blvd.

Bob was born on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1946 in Boca Raton, FL to Col. Robert N. Wilkinson and Eloise G. Wilkinson. Bob arrived at 2.5 pounds, while his twin brother, Claude, was just 2 pounds but sadly lived only a few days.

Since his father was a Colonel in the Air Force, he lived in many places in his childhood. At the age of two, Bob's family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where they lived at the iconic Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach. He fondly recalls drinking pineapple juice from water fountains. His first haircut was at Hickam Field, still marked by bullet holes from Pearl Harbor. Bob lived for short stints in Birmingham, AL, and Izmir, Turkey where he attended school in a tobacco warehouse. During their time there, they visited many places in Europe. When Bob was 12 years old, he moved to Amarillo. He developed an early passion for stock trading even before graduating from Palo Duro High School in 1964. After graduation, he attended Amarillo College and West Texas State earning degrees in Finance and Economics in 1968. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity.

Working as a lifeguard at the Amarillo Air Force Base, he met the love of his life, Jo Lynn Magee. He said when he first saw her, he knew he was going to marry her. They married on July 25, 1970, at First Presbyterian Church in Amarillo, TX.

They had two children, Tricia and Trey, whom he was very proud of. He taught Tricia how to play tennis and enjoyed watching her play as she got older. They also enjoyed running and taking bike rides together. When Trey was young, he would take him to look at properties and houses all over town. He would also let Trey tag along on business trips across the country. “Big Daddy” loved his grandchildren and they loved him. He would chase them around the house, play games with them, throw them in the pool, walk around the neighborhood with them, and anything else they asked him to do. He would always get them ice cream! No matter the activity, he always made it fun!

Bob worked for Western National Life Insurance Co, which later became Conseco, where he held the position of President of Conseco Mortgage Capital. In this position, he made billions of dollars worth of loans to companies such as Walmart, Walgreens, and Home Depot. While working for Conseco Mortgage Capital, he began making loans on his own on residential properties in Amarillo. Jo Lynn was instrumental in helping run the business on a daily basis. When he retired from Conseco, he continued making many, many loans over the years through what eventually became known as Wilkinson Mortgage Capital. Trey joined the business in 2009 and Tricia joined in 2022. He was so proud to have his children continue the company that he founded.

Bob served on multiple boards and committees throughout his life. He served as Chairman of the Board of the Amarillo Chamber of Commerce, President of the Amarillo Club, Amarillo College Foundation Board, and Harrington Cancer Center Foundation Board among others. Bob was also a member of First Presbyterian Church where he attended the Tuesday Men’s Bible Study. He fondly remembers being in Dr. Carrol’s Sunday School class shortly after he and Jo Lynn were married. He loved the Lord at a young age and told many stories about traveling through the Holy Land while living in Europe. He had a great knowledge of the Bible and passed that along to his family.

Throughout his life, he enjoyed running with his running group called the Monkey Business Gang. He also enjoyed playing tennis, listening to the music of Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra, and reading biographies. He loved traveling with his family and friends, especially beach trips and cruises. He always enjoyed family gatherings. At every occasion and event, he was the life of the party. He always had a joke for everyone. He never met a stranger!

He was preceded in death by his parents, Col. Robert N. “Wilkie” Wilkinson and Eloise G. Wilkinson, an infant twin brother, Claude, and his sister-in-law, Lisa Magee.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Jo Lynn Wilkinson; daughter, Tricia Wilkie and husband Eric and their children, Lauren and Madelyn; son, Trey Wilkinson and wife Abbey and their children, Parker and Elizabeth Anne; brother-in-law, Kelley Magee; nephew, Steve Magee and Anne Labaito; niece, Stephanie Smith and husband, Paul and their children, Miles and Maggie; sister-in-law, Janis Smith.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, Alzheimer’s Association, or Harrington Cancer Center.