William N. Wilkins: December 10, 1936 - July 2, 2023

William "Bill" Wilkins passed away peacefully on July 2, 2023, at the age of 86, in Woodstock, GA. Bill was born in Red Oak, Iowa on December 10, 1936, to Norman "Bud" Wilkins and Gertrude Ballard Wilkins. His passing marks the end of his almost 20-year battle with Parkinson's disease. Despite the challenges he faced over that time, he lived each day to its fullest and remained a dedicated servant to the Parkinson's community until his last breath.

Bill's career took him from the plains of Iowa, where he started as a shoe salesman, to the sandy shores of California, neon lights of Las Vegas, the snowy winters of Chicago, and the fast paced streets of New York, where he worked on Madison Avenue as an advertising executive. Finally, he settled in Roswell, GA in 1987, where he founded Wilkins Media Company and spent the remainder of his life.

To say Bill was anything other than a force of nature would understate the impact the man had on the lives of all he met. He spent his professional career in the Outdoor Advertising industry and is regarded as one of its greatest champions, having been inducted into the Out-of-Home Advertising Association of America's (OAAA) "Hall of Fame" in 1997. After his Parkinson's diagnosis, Bill moved on from billboards and put the full weight of his attention on Parkinson's awareness and advocacy. In 2010, he formed the Wilkins Parkinson's Foundation to expand awareness of Parkinson's and help accelerate the cure and treatment of the disease through research funding. "Polo for Parkinson's" became his foundation's marquee event which raised over $1MM for research. He was also involved with the Michael J. Fox Foundation where he served as one of the original members of the Unified Parkinson's Advocacy Council. For his dedication to the Parkinson's community, Bill was awarded the Wesley Woods Foundation's "Key to the Cure" award and the Alan Bonander Humanitarian Award.

Bill was a member of St. Peter Chanel Catholic Church in Roswell, GA where he served as an usher and finance committee member. While the Catholic faith was something he came to later in life, his faith was deeply important to him.

He is preceded in death by his wife Sara Ann Wilkins. He is survived by his sister Jayne Ann Wilkins, his brother Norman Francis Wilkins II, his five children: Michael, William, Mathew, Trudi and Daniel; including ten grandchildren and an innumerable number of friends.

Bill was an amazing father and devoted husband, who left an indelible, positive impact on everyone he met. He will be greatly missed.

Visitation will be held at Northside Chapel and Crematory on July 27th from 4–7pm.
12050 Crabapple Rd, Roswell, GA 30075

Funeral Service will be held at St. Peter Chanel on July 28th at 10:30am.
11330 Woodstock Rd, Roswell, GA 30075

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please donate to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research in his name.