Timothy E. Wilkins

Gardner - Timothy Edward Wilkins, of Freeport Maine, Gardner, Massachusetts and favorite home at Seal Cove on Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, passed away peacefully on November 15, 2017.  He was born to Edward & Pauline (Hartnett) Wilkins in Leominster, MA in 1948, the oldest of nine children.  He graduated from Leominster High in 1966, and attended Clark University.

Tim had a diverse work life, working as a manager for Holiday Inns in his younger years.  He carried many great stories from days spent rebuilding an old "Novi" fishing boat and living the life of a deep sea fisherman.  He worked as a broker of fish & then as a produce broker for Canada Packers, W.D. Trading Co. and as manager of Clover Group in the produce market at Chelsea, MA.  He then owned and operated NorthCoast Brokers for several years, primarily facilitating the sale of fresh produce to the US from Canada.  His children's fondest memories of him include endless cases of oranges, apples, and kiwi fruit brought home to juice, freeze, or just eat fresh from the box until their bellies hurt.  He was founder of Maine Biofuels International and then Seachange Group, working diligently to support the development of  green diesel fuels, particularly for marine shipping use.

Long before Alexa or Google, Tim was available & delighted to answer a bazillion questions for inquisitive family & friends.  His knowledge of history, produce (he knew WAY too much about potatoes!), cooking, ships & biofuels was very impressive.  Prior to GPS access, his bonus kids, who inherited their mother's terrible sense of direction, were saved many times by calling Tim whenever they were lost on the road.

Tim is survived by a large and loving family including his wife Sherry Wilkins; his children, Sarah Clark & husband Brad of Berwick, ME, Paul Wilkins of Amesbury, MA and Katherine Wilkins & fiance Shameek Edwards of Winthrop, MA "bonus" children Emily Myriah Zwicker & husband James of Ashburnham, MA, Tyler Reed of Portland, ME and Annamae Reed of Scarborough, ME; grandchildren Camden, Shea & Maia Clark of Berwick and Owen, Lillian & Jameson Zwicker of Ashburnham, and an already-loved grandson on the way.  He also leaves his mother, Pauline Wilkins of Fitchburg, and brothers Patrick (Donna) Wilkins of Ashburnham John (aka Will K.) Wilkins of Hartford, CT, Brendan (Payton) Wilkins of Leominster and Neil (Christine Latini)  Wilkins of Clinton, MA: sisters Elizabeth (Jim) Zwicker of Fitchburg, Martha (Russell Anderson) Wilkins of Leicester, MA , Rosamond (Jim) Gleason of Philadelphia, PA and Mary (Mike) McManus of Fitchburg.  Also surviving are lots of nieces, nephews, their spouses & their children.  

In lieu of flowers, Tim requested that memorial donations be made to Mercy Hospital in Portland, Maine to honor the fine care that he received from Dr. Watler Keller & the crew at Mercy's Woundcare Center.  If you wish to send a check, please make payable to Mercy Healthcare Foundation and mail to: Mercy Healthcare Foundation, PO Box 679, Portland, Maine 04104.  Or go to https://emhsfoundation.org/donation-forms/mercy-general-donation/ and choose designation "Mercy Hospital's Greatest Need Fund".

A Memorial Mass will be held Monday, November 20, 2017,  at 10:30 a.m. in St. Leo's Church, 128 Main St., Leominster.  Calling hours will be held Sunday, November 19th, from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. in Wright-Roy Funeral Home, Inc., 109 West St., Leominster, MA.

To Light A Candle, Sign his Guestbook or Leave A Message of Condolence, visit www.wrightroyfuneralhome.com

 Service Information