Melba Jo Wilkat

Melba Jo Wilkat was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, where she attended Little Rock High School. She was a proud member of the "Gold Jackets" which was a version of a drill team for her high school. She married Albert Wilkat in December of 1957, moving to the St. Louis area. Her last of four children, John, was born with Down Syndrome and she spent much of her adult life as not just a caregiver but also a champion for better education and life experiences for any handicapped child. After John passed, she wrote a book entitled "When Down is Up", which chronicled the life experiences of raising a child with Down Syndrome. She was employed for many years with Sears, and was part of the grand opening when Sears debuted in the newly opened Broward Mall. In later years she enjoyed being part of the Aviarian Club in Fort Lauderdale and helped with many of their "bird shows" at War Memorial. She was a resident of Plantation, Florida from 1974 until 2018, and she, along with her husband Albert, had many fond memories of their life in Plantation. She is predeceased by her husband Albert and son John. She has three remaining adult children, Alaric, Thomas and Judith, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.