Generally Speaking: Brooklyn Tablet editor wraps up 50-year career

Ed Wilkinson, the former editor-in-chief of the Brooklyn Catholic Diocesan weekly newspaper, The Tablet, just announced his retirement after a 50-year career with the paper, which was founded in 1908. A Greenpoint native, he has lived in Bay Ridge with his wife Sheila since 1992.

He joined the staff as a reporter on Sept. 21, 1970. For 11 years, he wrote a weekly sports column, then became the news editor. In addition to frequently taking photos of church and community events, he had the opportunity to greet and photograph three pontiffs when they arrived in New York: Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. During his time as editor-in-chief, the Tablet won several awards for outstanding journalism.

I have known Wilkinson for more than 25 years.  Locally, he has written about and photographed St. Patrick’s Day parades in Bay Ridge and Park Slope and the annual Children’s Ragamuffin Parade. I was at the 101st Brooklyn Independence Day Parade ceremonies sponsored by the Long Island Assembly of the Knights of Columbus when he received the group’s prestigious 2006 Pro-Patria Award.

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Local civic leader Tom McCarthy, the county treasurer for the Brooklyn GOP, held a backyard rally for Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis at his historic Bay Ridge mansion on 86th Street near Ridge Boulevard. When his house was constructed in 1922, it was the only building  between Ridge Boulevard (then known as Second Avenue) and Shore Road.

Malliotakis is running on the GOP and Conservative Party ballots against incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Max Rose. Among the many officials and supporters at the event were Brooklyn Republican Chairman Ted Ghorra, Conservative Party Chairwoman Fran Vella-Marrone, GOP District Leader John Quaglione, County GOP Executive Director Steve Maresca and former Brooklyn Republican Chairman Craig Eaton.

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The Narrows Community Theater will present an outdoor cabaret at Our Lady of Angels Church, 74th Street off Third Avenue, on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 18 (raindate Oct. 25). The program will feature a group of talented vocalists.

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