Norman firefighter Levi Wilkins was described as a loving family man and a true hero in the city after he died in a rock climbing accident on Sept. 22.
Wilkins was a stage four adrenal cancer survivor, and, after he beat cancer, he lived his life to the fullest, family members said.
“After beating cancer he lived BIG,” Emily Wilkins, Levi’s wife, wrote on Facebook. "He believed every day was a gift, and it brings great comfort to know how happy he was doing what he loved when his time came. I’m not sure how we will face the future without him, but we will do our best to carry on his legacy of wonder and adventure.”
Wilkins was planning a trip to climb in Bolivia this year, to Denali in 2024 and to the Himalayas in 2025, according to an article he wrote for MD Anderson. He wrote in the article that climbing was his art, and he found it incredibly healing.
On Monday, Norman Mayor Larry Heikkila released a statement about Wilkins’ death, offering his condolences to the Wilkins family and to the Norman Fire Department.
“Levi served on the Norman Fire Department since January 2012,” Heikkila wrote. “He was a man of faith, a husband, a father, and a son who loved adventure. Wilkins was an exemplary leader, a true hero for our city, and saving lives was the job he loved. As Mayor, I assure you our city will honor him and his family for their sacrifices and the service he provided to the City of Norman and its citizens. Levi's legacy will be carried on.”
In the Norman City Council meeting on Tuesday, Ward 4 Councilmember Helen Grant expressed their condolences to the Wilkins family. They said they met the family at a social event last summer.
“I got to know Mr. Wilkins as a loving family man,” Grant said. “He will be greatly missed by Ward 4 neighbors.”
Many friends and family of Wilkins described Wilkins’ personality on Facebook and expressed their grief.
“Levi was a positive person, who brought joy, quirkiness, and passion to the job of firefighting. The world is a little more dim today. Im grateful for the love you showed to me and to my family,” Norman firefighter Kale Daniels wrote on Facebook.
Wilkins’ funeral service will be at 10 a.m. on Oct. 3 at the McFarlin Memorial United Methodist Church, according to Emily Wilkins’ Facebook post.
This article was edited by Alexia Aston, Taylor Jones and Peggy Dodd. Mary Ann Livingood copy edited this article.
