James Earl Wilkes

"God looked and saw the road was long, the hills were hard to climb. He gently closed his weary eyes and whispered Peace be Thine"

James (better known as Skint) was born December 15, 1937 in Wilson County, NC to the late Junuest and Allena Wooten Wilkes. He graduated from G.W. Carver High School in Pinetops, NC. Immediately after graduating, he joined the U.S. Air Force in May 1955 and became a civilian in 1959. He later moved to Brooklyn, NY where he worked various jobs such as making cabinets, working at pharmaceutical companies, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson and finally retiring after working many years in the meat packaging business for Aaron Dubin in Brooklyn, NY. 

James was a people's person, he loved family, friends and anyone else who would stop and listen to his jokes. His hobbies included fishing, baseball, listening to good ol' soul/blues music and watching westerns, which he called "Shoot Em Ups."

He departed from this earthly life on February 27, 2021 at Sentara Beach Hospital in Virginia Beach, after a month-long illness.  His final resting place will be  at Crestlawn Memorial Gardens on March 10, 2021 Hwy 258 in Farmville, NC where a graveside service will be held at 2:00PM. He truly will be missed by many people young or old, and of all nationalities. Rarely did you see him without a smile on his face. 

In his passing, he leaves to mourn his devoted wife of 58 years, Ruth Bullock Wilkes; two daughters, Brenda Barnes of Pinetops, NC and Michele Crawley of Virginia Beach, VA; son, Jeffrey Wilkes of Virginia Beach, VA; five grandchildren, Ronje Barnes (Nekita) of Rocky Mount, NC, Davon Crawley of Centreville, VA, Jequel Wilkes of Arlington, VA, Micaiah Wilkes of McDonough, GA and Daniel Crawley (Samantha) of Hawaii; remaining siblings, Stella Suggs and Pearl Wilkes both of Rocky Mount, NC, and Joseph Wilkes (Ethel) of Fountain, NC; two God daughters, April Middleton of Linden, NJ and Sarita Whitehead of Queens, NY; in-laws, Mark Bullock (Lenora) of NJ, Lucy Brown of Woodbridge, VA and Margaret Revels of Dover, Delaware, Minnie Bullock and Mattie Bullock of Rocky Mount and Babylon, NY; respectively, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins and life-long friends.