Colette Jousse Wilkins

Deceased Name:  Colette Jousse Wilkins,

Of Pittsburgh, died Thursday, May 27, 2021 at the age of 87. Born in Paris, France, on September 25, 1933, she was an Assistant Professor of Music at Carnegie Mellon University from 1974 until her retirement in 2015. Ms. Wilkins was also a highly regarded private piano teacher, and taught until as recently as last month.  Ms. Wilkins received First Prize from the Conservatoire National de Versailles in France. She met her husband, an American, while he was a student in France, and moved with him to the United States in 1952, speaking no English. She learned to speak and write English fluently on her own, and received gentle teasing on her occasional mispronunciations for the rest of her life. She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Donald Wilkins. She is survived by her children, Dr. Isabelle Wilkins, of Pittsburgh, Catherine Wilkins, of Juneau, Alaska, Laura Stuker, of Ligonier, and Mark Wilkins and his wife Mary Beth, of McCandless; her grandchildren, Sam Levenback and his wife Melissa Kopin, Ben Levenback, Max Stuker, Nancy Wilkins, and Renee Wilkins. Friends will be received on Sunday, May 30, 2021, from 2:00 – 3:30PM at Calvary Episcopal Church in Shadyside, with a memorial service to follow at 3:30PM. The burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music, or the Calvary Episcopal Church Music Fund. Arrangements by John A. Freyvogel Sons, Inc. (freyvogelfuneralhome.com)

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