Herbert Wells Wilkinson

Herbert Wells Wilkinson

1923 ~ 2026

In Loving Memory of Herb Wilkinson (1923 – 2026)

Herbert Wells Wilkinson, age 102, passed away peacefully at his home in Cedar Hills, Utah, on May 19, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Herb lived a long, remarkable life marked by faith, devotion, quiet strength, and a deep love for the people around him. He was born on December 13, 1923, in Hurricane, Utah, to Harold Herbert Wilkinson, M.D., and Luella Naomi Fawcett Wilkinson, the seventh of eight children. He later lived for a time in Cedar City before his family moved to Salt Lake City, where he graduated from East High School. At the University of Utah, he played on the basketball team that won the NCAA National Championship at Madison Square Garden in 1944, a moment forever remembered in school history. Herb made the game-winning basket at the buzzer to defeat Dartmouth in overtime, clinching the only basketball National Championship ever won at the University of Utah. He later attended dental school at the University of Iowa, where he continued to play basketball with his brother Clayton, who was also in dental school. While at Iowa, Herb was honored to be selected as a three-time All-American, and his team won the Big Ten basketball championship. After graduating from dental school, Herb was drafted by and played for the Minneapolis Lakers of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the predecessor to the NBA. Yet at the age of twenty-six, he chose a different path—one guided by faith—and accepted a mission call for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the London, England Mission. While serving, Herb continued to use his athletic gifts playing basketball and running track to build goodwill and bring recognition to the Church throughout the United Kingdom. The Finnish government even asked the Church if it might “borrow” Elder Wilkinson to coach its Olympic basketball team and Elder Wilkinson was permitted to coach the Finnish Olympic basketball team for six months before returning to the mission field.

After his mission, Herb returned home to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he met his future wife, Dorothy Curtis who he married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1953. Together they built a home centered on faith, hard work, and love, and Herb’s greatest joy was always his family. The newlyweds moved to Staten Island, New York, where Herb fulfilled his military service obligation at the National Health Service dental clinic in Manhattan. While living there, they welcomed their sons Mark and John. After completing his military service, Herb continued his education at the University of Pennsylvania, training as an oral surgeon. After graduation, the family moved to Mesa, Arizona, where Herb established an oral surgery practice and where their third child, Eric, was born. Later, while visiting a classmate in California, Herb decided to relocate the family to the San Francisco Bay Area. They settled in Sunnyvale and Saratoga, California, where they welcomed two more children, Jenny and Angela. Herb practiced as an oral surgeon in Sunnyvale for 34 years, serving his patients with skill, care, and integrity. In 1978, he founded Resort Properties Ventures, one of the first vacation home fractional ownership companies in the country, acquiring properties in Tahoe, Maui, Puerto Vallarta, Sunriver, Mammoth, and Park City. Herb loved playing golf and competing in the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah, where he won more than one hundred medals and set Senior Games world records at 100 years old. He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many callings, most notably as a bishop and a member of the high council. Herb was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Dorothy Curtis Wilkinson, and two daughters-in-law, Debbi and Donna. He is survived by his children, Mark (Shirley), John (Kimberly), Eric, Jenny, and Angela (Chuck); 12 grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.

As a family, we feel profoundly blessed to have known and loved Herb for so many years. We will remember his steady example, his kindness, his quiet faith, and the way he made each of us feel loved and supported. Though we will miss him deeply, we find comfort in the memories he gave us, the values he lived, and the enduring influence of his love in our lives. He will remain forever in our hearts.

Memorial Services to be held on June 6th at 11:00 am in the Manila 10th Ward building located at 3396 North 900 West in Pleasant Grove Utah 84062

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