1 at the University of Iowa for 3 years during his academic studies and in the mid-1960s played for some time on the amateur circuit.

[2] He met his future wife Barbara Renk on a mountain top in Washington State; they married in Hamburg, Germany in 1966.

[1] In 1970, Wilkinson started teaching World Religions and Ethics at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minnesota[1] but soon enough, in 1971, assumed the position of the college men's tennis team that he retained for 39 years, till 2009.

By the day of his death in 2015, this result was still standing as the most wins by a head coach in the history of collegiate men’s tennis.

in 39 years, 46 Gustavus Adolphus students (including future professional tour star Eric Butorac) were named for ITA All-America honors 87 times in total, won 6 national titles in doubles and 4 in singles.

In January 2011 Steve, then 71 years old, and Barbara donated the Tennis and Life Camps, with Neal Hagberg named as the new director.

He died in his home in St. Peter, Minnesota, on January 21, 2015, and was survived by his wife and two daughters, Stephanie and Deborah.