Tyler Wilkinson

Obituary Tyler Wilkinson, 26, of Newport passed away Thursday, August 18, 2022, at home. Tyler Alexander Wilkinson was born on January 22, 1996, to his mother Tara Marie Winter, and his father Dewayne McCoo. He was born at Carteret General Hospital in Morehead City, North Carolina and was 7lbs 9oz and a whopping 22 inches long. He lived with his mother in Newport, North Carolina, and was a happy baby, always giggling and laughing. He took his time to start talking, but once he started, he never stopped. He was all boy. He loved playing outside, getting dirty, and playing with trucks. He loved being in the shed with his Papa, playing with the wood scraps and banging nails into them. He loved helping his Nana out in the garden and helping with baking. His favorite homemade treats were chocolate macadamia cookies, his Nanas eggnog cookies, and his moms Christmas cookies. He went to Bogue Sound Elementary where he made a lot of friends. When he was nine, he joined Boy Scouts and loved to compete with his pinewood derby car that he made with his Papa. He, his mom, and his Papa also went camping with the Boy Scouts, which was a special memory for all of them. He became a big brother at the age of 10 & he was so in love with him. He really was a good big brother. From fifth grade through high school his best friends were the Kuchta twins his neighbors who also lived in Bogue Pines. They did everything together, from hanging out daily, beach days, having weekend sleepovers to attending air shows, and they stayed close friends until they moved. At Croatan High School, he played football and track for a year. He loved being part of a team and the camaraderie of competing together. He was very talented at drawing and architecture. He also was good at creating raps but his passion was playing the game. He was an artistic young man, and a comedian, always trying to make people laugh. He loved school spirit weeks and always participated! After a year at Croatan High, he asked to go to West Carteret High School because he had more friends there. Unfortunately, this became a sad turning point in his life as his friends werent the best influence on him, and he began his journey into addiction. Despite that, he graduated high school in 2014, and his whole family was so proud of him. It was very hard to find helpful resources at that time, and the frustrations of not knowing what to do for him led his mom to church and to Jesus. At Glad Tidings Church, his mother met a church member named Lee who was to play a pivotal role in Tylers life. Tyler overdosed around this time and because of it he came to the understanding that he had a soul and there was more to this life than what he was experiencing. Tyler ended up in jail and Lee had a ministry in the jail. Lee went to pray for Tyler and in that encounter, Tyler gave his life to Christ. This was the great turning point in his life. He visibly changed from this point on, taking responsibility for his choices, wanting to live a better life, and wanting to get free from his depression and addiction. He eventually decided he wanted to get into a program to get help and he said he wanted to do it with God. He went to Teen Challenge in Ohio and he flourished there. He really grew into a man there. He was confident and happy. He heard from God and got stronger and stronger. He was so good at helping the newcomers get into the program, he led Bible studies and encouraged so many to stay with it and overcome. It was truly the greatest answer to prayer and everything that he and his family hoped for in his life became a reality during those two years. He got out of the program in May 2021 and went back to North Carolina, and things that had been a stumbling block before became a stumbling block again. He wanted to save his friends, but it was more than he could handle. He never wanted to hurt anybody, but unfortunately, he hurt himself, and with his passing, he hurt us all. He passed on Thursday, August 18, 2022. He will be greatly missed. Although he struggled with addiction, he was an incredible and deeply loved young man. He had a big heart and deeply loved his little brother, his sisters, his friends, and his family. He loved Jesus. He so wanted to be a light for others & lead them to Jesus. He wrote on his Facebook page a message to his mother about how much he loved her and the challenges he faced. He said: "I dont tell you this enough and Im sorry. I have so many daily battles I fight in my head. I love you." His favorite verse was Romans 7:14-17 So the trouble is not with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all to human, a slave to sin. I dont really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I dont do it. Instead, I do what I hate. But if I know what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. He is survived by his mother Tara Winter, stepfather David Winter, brother Gage Quillen, Papa, John Wilkinson, Nana, Debra Wilkinson, grandmother Kimberly Pragle, grandfather Henry Port, Uncle Joe Wilkinson, Uncle Rodney Pragle, Uncle Irven Pragle, Uncle Kevin Haag, Uncle Steven Haag, and Aunt Christina Taylor. He is survived by his father Dewayne McCoo and Tina McCoo, grandmother Alvera McCoo, Aunt Shemicka McCoo, Uncle Jermaine McCoo, his sisters Zaakhiraa McCoo, Elyse McCoo, Anastasia McCoo, Alexia Johnson, and step sister Kenrianna McCoo. In lieu of flowers, we would appreciate donations to Adult and Teen Challenge Mid-America www.teenchallengemidamerica.com/donate/ His service will be held at Glad Tidings Church in Morehead City, NC on Sunday, August 28, 2022 at 2 pm. Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noebrooks.net Arrangements by Noe-Brooks Funeral Home, Morehead City, NC. Services You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of Tyler Wilkinson