Obituary of Warren S. Wilkinson

Warren Scripps Wilkinson 95 years old, died May 17, 2015, at his Grosse Pointe home after several years of progressive dementia. An industrialist, philanthropist, athlete, student of history and noted collector, he is survived by his devoted and loving wife of 49 years, Mireille de Bary, a daughter (Susan Lees), six sons (Todd, Warren Jr., Guerin, Stephen, Bary, Bruce), six daughters-in-law, 23 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren. Another daughter (Nina Gay) passed away. Warren was born February 2, 1920, in Detroit to Almadeus DeGrasse Wilkinson and Harriet Whitcomb Wilkinson, granddaughter of James E. Scripps, the founder of The Detroit News, who donated major European paintings to the Detroit Institute of Arts at its inception. He was educated at the Hotchkiss School, 1934-1937, Harvard College, 1937-1941, and the California Institute of Technology, 1941-1942. His first marriage was to Joan Large Todd on June 15, 1941, in Cambridge, MA. He served in the Navy from 1943 to 1945, then worked for the Hanson-Van Winkle-Munning Company in Matawan, NJ, from 1946 to 1964 when it was sold to the American Can Company. He was a director of the company from 1956-1964, as well as a board member of The Detroit News for many years. He went on to found and manage Reinforced Plastics Industries (RPI) in Marlette, MI, until 2014. RPI received numerous awards for furnishings for public spaces. He was founder and president of the Grosse Pointe Chapter of the Alliance Francaise, which promoted the Detroit area's ties to France and held an annual French Festival. In 1976, during the re-enactment of the founding of Detroit, he played the part of Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. At the Detroit Historical Society, he served as president and commissioner. He was instrumental in creating the "Furs to Factory" exhibit and the Booth-Wilkinson costume gallery. He was also the family historian and developed such an extensive collection of materials relating to The Detroit News and its founder, James E. Scripps, that the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Bentley Library of the University of Michigan digitized parts of the collection. His passion for history later led to involvement with the Grosse Pointe Historical Society, where he contributed not only his personal time but some of his collection of historical items. He created a scholarship at Harvard University for students from Michigan going into scientific fields. The family foundation that he began has supported such Detroit projects as Salvation Army, Detroit Public Television, Belle Isle Conservatory, United Way, and many others. Large grants went to the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Historical Society, William Beaumont Hospital including a Pewabic tile fountain, the Grosse Pointe Historical Society, and numerous institutions of higher education. He had a variety of personal interests, including travel, bridge, war history, and classical music, and he played tennis including many tournament championships up until his 89th year. He was a world-known philatelist. His collection of Canadian postal covers was so remarkable that he received the honor of viewing the private stamp collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in London. His other stamp collections earned many awards and gold medals. One of his lasting legacies was keeping his large family together by hosting an annual reunion at a Canadian resort in the Muskoka Lakes area for 33 straight years. He has made Michigan a better place by his many visionary contributions. He has encouraged his family members to pursue their dreams, to contribute to worthy causes, and to stay connected with one another. We will miss him greatly. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, May 23, 2015 at 11 a.m. at Christ Church, 61 Grosse Pointe Blvd., Grosse Pointe, MI 48230. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation may be made in his honor to any of his local favorite charities.