MILTON — Patrick Wilcox is gone, but he’s not forgotten.
City officials planted a Drake Elm tree to honor Wilcox’s memory on Friday during their annual Arbor Day ceremony near city hall.
Wilcox, a temporary city employee, was killed on the job last year after a vehicle struck him. He was 34.
Mayor Wesley Meiss, who attended Milton High School with Wilcox, said he will remember him every time he sees the tree.
“He was a very determined young man; he worked hard for the city of Milton,” Meiss said. “I think it’s appropriate, it’s fitting.“
Among attendees — including council members and city officials — was Wilcox’s Aunt Virgie Haughton.
Wilcox enjoyed his employment with the city, Haughton said.
“He was really happy to work for the city,” she said. “He was a good worker and he wanted to go to work.”
As for the ceremony?
“I appreciate what (the city) did in honor of Pat,” she said. “I would have never have thought they would have done this for him. It was a surprise.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Milton officials plant tree to honor former employee's memory