Ronald Wayne Wilkins

On Saturday, October 12th, 2024, Ronald Wayne Wilkins died at home in Los Alamos, NM. He was 81 years old. 

Ron was born on August 29, 1943, during World War II. He and his mother Mary Frances lived with his grandparents in Roscoe, Texas while his father Wiley served overseas. Later, the family settled in McCamey, Texas, where Ron graduated from high school in 1961.

Although he had always planned to attend college in Texas, Ron unexpectedly received an offer to attend Harvard University, which he accepted with his father’s encouragement. There he studied physics, rowed crew, and was known to his house master as “the kid from the smallest town in Texas.”

As a senior at Harvard, while walking across the yard, he noticed a woman who had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. Her name was Sally Foote. He struck up a conversation with her, and the two fell in love. While home in Texas for Christmas, he realized he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He hopped in his car and drove to Chicago so that he could propose. They were married in 1966. In 1970, they had a son, Jon. Ron coached Jon’s Little League teams, as well as soccer and basketball.

Ron earned his PhD in Physics from the University of Illinois in 1972. In 1977, Sally, Ron, and Jon moved to Los Alamos, NM, where he worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory, first in fusion energy research and later in computer security.

Ron was deeply committed to Los Alamos. He served on the board of the Los Alamos Historical Society for over twenty years, including time as president and treasurer, where he contributed to the creation of the Manhattan Project National Park and to the ongoing restoration of the Oppenheimer House. He was also involved in a number of other local organizations, and served as treasurer/board member for the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee and the Unitarian Church of Los Alamos.

Ron loved baseball. He was a longtime fan of the Chicago Cubs and had “Go Cubs Go” as the ringtone on his phone. For many years, he and Sally rented a house in Mesa, AZ during the Cubs’ spring training. They traveled often, going on hiking trips to places such as the Galapagos Islands, Sicily, Crete, Baja California, the Shetland and Orkney Island as well as to many National Parks. Ron spent many years studying and playing guitar. He was a season ticket holder at Popejoy Hall and loved going down to Albuquerque to see Broadway musicals.

In 2004, Ron and Sally built their dream house at the end of Barranca Mesa, where Ron worked on his garden, grilled dinner on the back patio, and enjoyed the view of Black Mesa from his office window. Ron logged thousands of hours and miles walking his dogs in the neighborhood (an activity he called his happy place). Ron was particularly bonded with a small, friendly pup named Sammy, who he adopted during the Las Conchas fire in 2011 and who was with him until the very end.

Ron was preceded in death by Sally (2023), as well as his parents and his younger sister Cheryl. Ron is survived by his son Jon, his grandson Dash, his daughter-in-law Lizzie, and his nephews Craig and Randy Watkins and their families. He is also survived by his brother-in-law Max Foote, his wife Judy, and his children Max III and Michelle and their families. His beloved dog Gemma was with him when he died and is now living with Jon.

His family would like to thank the neighbors and friends who showed up for Ron during his last year of life, kept him well fed, and raised his spirits after Sally died in 2023. This kindness meant more to him (and to us) than can ever be properly expressed.

A celebration of his life will be held at the Unitarian Church in Los Alamos on Saturday, January 11, 2025 at 11:00 AM.

The family requests that donations be made to the Los Alamos Historical Society at https://losalamoshistory.networkforgood.com/projects/22122-everyday-giving or to the J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Committee at https://jromc.org/donate/ Please visit www.riverafamilyfuneralhome.com to leave messages, photos, and stories for Jon’s family to treasure.