DeEtte Wilkinson Tomka

A memorial service to honor the life of DeEtte (D.) Wilkinson Tomka will be held at 11am Saturday, February 24, 2018. At Trinity Episcopal Church located at 533 Second St. Natchitoches, La. 71457. Entombment will be at the Trinity Bell Tower Columbarium. A reception following the services will be held in the Parish Hall. D. as she known to by her friends, was born February 16, 1944 in Shreveport to Dr. William Emmet Wilkinson, Jr. and Evelyn Mahaffey Wilkinson. On January 24, 2018, she left Her Earthly Life, peacefully, with her daughter Caroline by her side. D. grew up in Baltimore, Maryland – where she attended Roland Park Country School; upon her graduation in 1961- she briefly attended Bennington College in Vermont before moving to New York City. That is where she met her husband and father of her daughter. She later moved back to Baltimore where she worked for The University of Maryland Heath Systems for 30 years in multiple capacities, including coordinating assignments for the incoming First Year Medical Residents, before retiring to move to Natchitoches, Louisiana. D. loved life to the fullest, she was a “hippie” at heart (although she would never admit it). She was ballet dancer and teacher, she was extremely creative and D. also loved her cats. She was a good mother and friend .She will be missed dearly by all who knew and loved her. She was preceded in Death by her parents, Dr. William Emmet Wilkinson Jr, formerly of Coushatta, Louisiana, and Evelyn Mahaffey formerly of Mansfield, Louisiana. Her brother, William Emmet Wilkinson III of Natchitoches,  dear friend Patricia Starratt of Baltimore, Maryland,  former husband and father of her daughter, Tibor S. Tomka, of Brunswick, Georgia,  formerly of Budapest, Hungary and host  Aunts, Uncles and cousins. She is survived by her only child; a daughter, Caroline Graves and her husband, James of Natchitoches, God children: Jeannine O’Brian, Neil O’Brian and Audrey O’Brian of Buffalo, New York and Amanda Highby of Baltimore, Maryland. Lifelong friend Triminie M. Shelton of Baltimore, loving friends, (whom she considered her extended family members); Linda Lang of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Lois O’Brian of Buffalo, New York, Eddie and Theresa Graves of Natchitoches, Catherine Bijole, of Coushatta, her Trinity Episcopal Church Family the members of the Class of 1961 of Roland Park Country School of Baltimore, Maryland and her Kitty, Miss Eleanor. All of whom loved D. and will miss her terribly. In lieu of flowers, her daughter asks that memorials in D.’s name to  Roland Park Country School in Baltimore, The  Natchitoches Humane Society, Natchitoches Hope for Paws, or to the charity of your choice. Her family would like to thank everyone for the kind words and prayers.