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Margaret Leona (Coughlan) Wilkinson of Wheeling, WV died peacefully Friday July 11, 2025 in Good Shepherd Nursing Home.
She was born on November 14, 1930, to the late Oma Hendershot and Frank Coughlan of Wheeling, WV.
She married her grade school sweetheart and love of her life the late James D. "Sonny" Wilkinson on April 14, 1954.
Leona graduated from Wheeling High School "Wildcats" in the class of 1948. She worked briefly at Stone & Thomas until she married Sonny. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother (GeeGee). She took care of her parents when they became ill and passed in 1978 and 1989.
Family was always the center of her attention, which she instilled in all of her children. "Your family comes first!"
Leona had three children; Donald "Cat" Landmeyer, (deceased) Wheeling, WV, David (Lori) Wilkinson, West Palm Beach FL, and Karen Wilkinson, Wheeling, WV.
Leona loved being called "Grandma" and had four grandsons; Donald "Little Cat" Landmeyer Jr, Wheeling, WV, Kyle Wilkinson, West Palm Beach, FL, Eric (Samantha) Wilkinson, Nashville, TN, and Aaron (Elizabeth) Wilkinson, Wheeling, WV.
Once her family grew larger, with the addition of seven great-grandchildren her name was affectionately changed to "GeeGee"; Sonia Landmeyer, Wheeling, WV, Troy, Dawson, and Everly Wilkinson, Nashville, TN, Bella, Keiera, and Kal-El Wilkinson, Wheeling, WV.
She had numerous nieces and nephews.
Leona enjoyed immensely attending all the family events; family social gatherings, school plays, music and dance recitals, football, baseball, basketball, softball games, graduation ceremonies from kindergarten through college. She would "play school" for hours by making it fun, and without realizing it was a teaching session for all of us to learn to read, sing our ABC's, and then write the letters down and turn them into words right before our eyes; going over and over our spelling words, learning our numbers and counting by drawing all kinds of items, adding and subtracting, eventually moving into our multiplication tables. Playing cards such as Old Maid, War, Rummy, everything was a teaching lesson. She did not stop with her children; she repeated the same ritual with her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. Leona believed education was the key to growth and wellbeing of all of her children. She wanted us to achieve and always keep striving to better ourselves. She was proud of all of our achievements.
Leona loved to cook for any and all not a fancy meal just regular comfort food, she was known for her "dippy eggs" with just the right amount of crispy edges and especially her "Sweet Tea." No one could ever get enough of either.
She loved West Virginia and all its beautiful glory with the four seasons and called it her home: spending a brief time in Florida for four years after Sonny's death. She of course was an avid Wheeling Central Maroon Knights, West Virginia University Mountaineer; Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers fan.
Leona was Methodist by faith. Her nephew, the Reverend Craig Blankenship will be conducting the funeral services.
Family will receive friends Tuesday July 22, 2025 from 2:00-4:00pm and 6:00-8:00pm where funeral services will be held on Wednesday July 23, 2025 at 10:00am at Grisell Funeral Home and Crematory, 1 Ridgecrest Road, Wheeling/Bethlehem, WV.
Interment at Greenwood Cemetery, Wheeling, WV.
Sympathy expressions at grisellfuneral homes.com