Christopher Michael Wilkinson

"Chris “Gecko” Wilkinson was born in San Diego, Ca on November 23, 1976 to Della and Micahael Wilkinson, retired Navy. He was 48 years young when he passed away in Charleston on the bright afternoon of August 7, 2025. 

Chris was a 1995 graduate of Cross High School where he joined the Army and set off for adventures after graduation. With an unfortunate medical discharge from the Army Chris moved to Summerville where he would embark on the rest of his life. Living in Jedburg with his fiancee Tara and her daughter Deven for the last thirteen years gave him the work life balance that we all look for. 

His love of cooking led him to an almost 30 year career from fried to fine dining around Summerville and Charleston areas (Summerhouse, Savanna’s Lowcountry Grill, Mellow Mushroom, The Red Pepper, Sweetwater 123, Manny’s, Swig N Swine, La Cuisine du Chevalier to name a few). Learning new ways and about new ingredients, Chris would take new taste ideas from work and put his spin on them for a tasty experience for the taste buds for his family at home. He could WOW! with just one bite, and was always up for a towel fight. Dinging the bells and gonging gongs when orders were up. You never knew when the time for a little surprise to make the shift go on easier until the end. Rather it was a plate of fries, an off the wall joke, a pickle spear, or down to the shift meal that may have been a tad different that really made your day.

Chris always had a helping hand for his fellow F&B colleagues and made the day easier. Chris also had a love for reptiles and searched for different species everywhere where he went, and was always willing to help anyone with a snake relocation issue. Even while driving, Chris would even pull over and help the wandering snake or turtle/tortoise cross the road. Working and learning at Hiss and Herps, an exotic pet shop, in his younger years and helping educational showcases at schools to help educate the next generation of herp lovers’. Eventually he started The Motley Gecko with Tara in 2018 breeding various geckos, and began vending reptile shows together. However with the changes that came with the experience of the pandemic The Motley Gecko just stayed local instead, and offered his knowledge up in local groups on social media to those who were just beginning their herp journey, and helped those with research and help with quandaries.

 A Memorial of Life will be happening on August 31st, 2035 at 123 W. Richardson Ave in Summerville at 5:30pm at the outside pavilion; weather permitting. 

Tara (Geckos on FB) will have news and updates of the event are, and will be, posted on Facebook under Events for Chris “Gecko” Wilkinson’s Memorial of Life. Looking forward to sharing our stories as we remember our friend, co-worker, and my favorite Kitchen Ninja!"