Obituary of Samuel Webster Wilburn, Jr.

Samuel Webster Wilburn Jr. died on January 16, 2020 at UNC Hospital.  He was 90 years old.

Sam was born in Ridgeland, South Carolina, the youngest of four to Iris and Samuel Wilburn.  He joined the Navy as a medical corpsman and was stationed in Annapolis, Maryland and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  

In 1953, he completed studies in bacteriology at UNC and worked with Dr. Gordon Sharp, teaching the staff how to use the electron microscope.  He founded Robbin Laboratories andbecame a general contractor which led to a life-long love affair with Habitat for Humanity.  In 1960, Sam and a few others began a new church which would be inclusive and welcoming to everyone regardless of race.  And so, Olin T. Binkley Baptist Church was born.  Sam was the last founding member of the Church and a member of the choir for forty years.  He always felt the three most important things in his life were Binkley Church, Habitat for Humanity, and his family.

Sam is survived by his wife Barbara Proctor, his daughter and son-in-law Samantha and Tom Connell of Houston, Texas; his son and daughter-in-law, Shaun and Kelly Wilburn of Hillsborough, North Carolina; 4 grandchildren, Bradley, Michael, Caroline, Will and 2 great-grandchildren, Aiden and Maverick.

There will be a memorial service on Saturday, January 25th at 11:00am at Binkley Baptist Church.  A memorial reception will follow.  In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Chatham County Habitat for Humanity in care of Jerry Whortan or the Binkley Baptist Church Choir.