Bruce A. ‘Hide’ Wilkinson
March 28, 1938 – March 27, 2026
OBITUARY
Bruce Allen Wilkinson, a long-time resident of the Niles District of Fremont, Calif. and a resident of Lodi since 2018, died unexpectedly on March 27, a day before his 88th birthday.
He was born March 28, 1938, in South Bend, Ind. He met Judy Torch Marshall in Niles, Mich. when they were 13 years old. On their “first date,” a walk home from school, Torch promised to teach Bruce to play tennis. He won their first match. Bruce was an all-around athlete excelling at football and basketball. He also became an excellent mechanic and loved working on cars his whole life.
He and Torch continued to date through high school and married Dec. 8, 1956. Their marriage lasted 69 years. When Bruce sought better work in California, he found it, coincidentally, in Niles, Calif. where his brother Stewart lived. He and Torch made it their permanent home in 1960.
Bruce immediately became a volunteer firefighter in Niles and was soon driving trucks, which became his career for most of his life. When the CB radio craze began, Bruce was hauling cattle for the Berchem Meat Company and he acquired the CB handle “Rawhide,” soon shortened to “Hide” — nicknames that stuck with him his entire life. He eventually bought his own truck and hauled commodities under contract for Jess’s Trucking. His pride of ownership gleamed in having the “shiniest chrome on the road.” After driving trucks, he worked for 20 years for the Alameda County Public Works Department.
He kept a boat on Bethel Island, where he enjoyed many years of water skiing and camping with family and friends. In retirement, he restored and owned classic vehicles, earning awards and proudly seeing one of them featured on a calendar and a car show T-shirt. His last car was a 1940 Ford like the one he drove in high school.
An accomplished cowboy, Bruce loved traditional country music and was rarely seen without his signature boots. After retirement, he and his horses, Flash and Nikki, helped his friend Jim Coehlo brand and round up cattle in the hills above Fremont, Calif. He leaves behind a legacy of hard work and a pair of boots that can never truly be filled.
Bruce is survived by his wife Torch; his children, Jim Wilkinson (Lisa) and Julie Crivelli (Steve); four grandchildren: Stephanie Wilkinson; Shauna Smith (Seth); Erin Johnson (Chris); and Scott Crivelli (Becca). He is also survived by five great grandchildren: Norah and Maggie Smith; and Mileena, Callum and Demetria Johnson.
He was preceded in death by his parents Norwood and Beulah Wilkinson, brothers Stewart and Gary Wilkinson and sister Joyce Krause.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Friends can give donations in Bruce’s memory to the American Steel Car Club, PO Box 2043, Lodi, CA 95241 or the charity of the donor’s choice.
Bruce was known for his wit and quick rejoinders. Most aren’t suitable for publication, but as we tell Bruce “See you later,” we’re sure he’d shoot back: “Thanks for the warning.”
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Cherokee Memorial is honored to serve the Wilkinson family.