Gary Dennis Wilkos, Jr., 54, of East Hartford, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford.

Born in Hartford on March 21, 1968 a son of Susan J. (Grimm) Wilkos of East Hartford and the late Gary Dennis Wilkos, Sr., he had been a life-long resident of the East Hartford area. Gary was a graduate of East Hartford High School, class of 1986, and was a proud veteran of the U.S. Army during Operation Ernest Will and the Panama Invasion. He worked for several years as an operator of a successful area landscaping company. Gary enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson Motorcycle any chance that he had; playing golf; gardening; and loving animals, especially his former dog Roxie. He was an avid fan of the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Rams, and was an overall sports enthusiast.

A loving step-father and son Gary will be dearly missed by his children: Nicholas Aconfora and his wife Lauren, Mitchell Aconfora, and Gianna Aconfora. He is also survived by his mother Susan and her husband David N. Case of East Hartford; two brothers, Shane C. Wilkos and his wife Kim of Ellington, Justin B. Wilkos and his fiancée Mattie of Bangor, Maine; three nieces, Ashley Wilkos, Alyssa Wilkos, and Peyton Wilkos; three nephews, Shane Wilkos, Jr., Cody Wilkos, and Justin Wilkos, Jr.; several cousins, aunts, uncles, and dear friends. In addition to his father, Gary was predeceased by his brother Dennis J. Wilkos of Hartford.

Funeral Service will be Friday (April 1, 2022) at 11 a.m. at the New Covenant United Methodist Church, 16 Church St., East Hartford. Burial with military honors will follow at Veteran’s Memorial Field – Silver Lane Cemetery. (Everyone is asked to please go directly to the church Friday morning). Relatives and friends may call at the D’Esopo East Hartford Memorial Chapel, 30 Carter Street, East Hartford on Thursday, March 31, 2022, from 2:30 until 5 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Gary’s memory may be made to Protectors of Animals, 144 Main Street, Unit O, East Hartford, CT 06118. To share a memory of Gary with his family, please visit www.desopoeh.com.