Dallas Morning News journalist James Wilkerson, beloved for his wit and intelligence, dies at 52

James Wilkerson, a computer journalist for the Dallas Morning News who was as popular for his quick wit and dry humor as he was for his journalism, died Sunday in a Dallas hospital. He was 52.

Wilkerson’s cause of death is unclear, but it is believed to have been caused by a heart or lung event, his mother Sharon Kessler said.

Known in his family as Jamey, Wilkerson is known for his unpretentious intelligence. He was well read and could talk about almost anything. In the event of discrepancies, he could express his thoughts and feelings calmly and not offensive, said his niece Chloe Krause.

“He was something of a walking contradiction in that he was very rebellious, but somehow nerdy,” said Krause. “He was trying to be rebellious in his own nerdy way.”

Obsessed with science fiction movies and books and television shows like Arrested Development, Wilkerson also enjoyed playing the guitar and was a loving father to his two children Carter, 21 and Keith, 16, a mess in the kitchen – a price his family paid for More than wanted to pay for his famous Christmas Eve tamales.

Wilkerson’s first foray into journalism as a contributor to Pflugerville High School newspaper ended “shockingly, suddenly”. [and] unfortunately, “after getting into a fist fight with another employee in his sophomore year, he wrote on LinkedIn.

Even so, Wilkerson was bitten by the virus. In high school, he wrote a review of Prince’s album Purple Rain, comparing Prince to Jimi Hendrix and describing the guitar solo on the album’s title track as “bubble-like”. The review was apparently so well written that Wilkerson’s teacher was skeptical that he had actually written it.

He first studied computer science at the University of Texas at Austin. At the end of his first semester, he told his mother that he would rather study journalism.

“In an unknown moment, I ended up in a dark basement with a police scanner in hand,” Wilkerson wrote on LinkedIn. “A shadowy figure appeared and said to me, ‘You’re the new cops reporter for The Daily Texan.’ Within a couple of weeks I got used to drinking coffee and sleeping with the scanner on. “

“I was addicted,” he wrote. “Had that ink deep in my blood.”

Wilkerson’s first journalistic job after graduating in 1993 was with The Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He spent about the next decade with local Pennsylvania newspapers before hiring him in 2004 by the New York Times. After holding other positions at the Des Moines Register, The Washington Post, National Geographic and some years outside of journalism, Wilkerson was hired by The News as a computer journalist in August 2019.

In his role on The News, Wilkerson was involved in calculating the numbers for some of the newspaper’s largest projects. He did not seek attention or recognition for his work and insisted that his byline not appear in a story. He never created an author page on The News website.

Cassandra Jaramillo, who covers the Dallas Police Department for The News, said Wilkerson had a knack for creating data analysis tools that were critical to her reporting, including those that scraped emergency call data and crime statistics.

“His expertise has helped our Dallas crime rate over the years to be particularly widespread in small geographic areas and that the rate of violent crime based on our city’s population is actually lower than it was in 2004,” she said. “I will miss his intelligence and sarcasm so much.”

Nicole Stockdale, director of digital strategy at The News and Wilkerson’s supervisor, said Wilkerson “used his handling of data to help everyone in the newsroom uncover stories that would otherwise not be visible to the naked eye.”

“You could really see James’ diverse talents on a night like Election Night,” Stockdale said. “He was cool under pressure, which was essential on high profile projects like making sure the voting results flow on the website. At the same time he had a gentle hand when working with young reporters and students – he was patient and thoughtful. “

In the family, Wilkerson talked quite a bit about his career – but not as much as his mother, who is eternally proud of everything her son has achieved in his too short life.

One morning, a few days after her son’s death, Wilkerson’s mother went out onto her terrace. She said she could sense his presence near the grill outside, where he often grilled for his family.

In addition to his mother and children, Wilkerson leaves behind his father Lonnie Kessler; Sister Melissa Longoria; Brother-in-law, John Longoria; Uncle, Ken Kratzer; Aunt, Linda Kratzer; and nieces and nephews, Chloe, Caleb, Isabella and Zackary Krause.

A viewing is scheduled on Monday at 8:30 a.m. at Magnolia Funeral Home, 811 Magnolia Blvd., Magnolia, Texas, 77355. A memorial service follows at 10:30 a.m.

Update: This story has been updated to reflect that Wilkerson worked for The Tribune-Democrat.

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