Wilburn Wise

Wilburn Wise, age 75, of Altapass Church of God Road in Spruce Pine, joined our heavenly father Tuesday, August 24, 2021. He passed surrounded by loved ones who share a lifetime of joyous memories.Born on November 12, 1945 in Mitchell County, he was the son of the late Grady Wise, Sr., and the late Josie Rowe Wise. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by brothers Grady Jr., Sam, Ed, C.H. and Bruce and sister, Georgie Giles.Wilburn met the love of his life, Ruby Hughes Wise in 1967 while cruising the strip in downtown Spruce Pine. After a fateful drive-in a movie and sharing a milkshake the rest was history. Wilburn was a dedicated family man who was most proud of his wife, Ruby, of 54 years, their sons Tim Wise (Winston Salem, NC) and Tom Wise (Spruce Pine, NC) and grandchildren Jeremy Wise, Brooke Wise, Ashley Wise, and Blake Wise. He is also survived by Ethel Riddle, sister, of Spruce Pine, NC and several nieces and nephews.Wilburn was a loyal and hardworking employee of Unimin, now known as Sibelco, for over 50 years. He was an icon, found at the site every day by 5 am ready to run the heavy equipment with vigor. Wilburn truly moved mountains his entire life.Anyone who knew Wilburn knew of his passion for being out and about among the community, taking joyrides on the Parkway with a friend or family member by his side in his prized classic 1977 Bronco. Wilburn also liked to build things and could often be found in his garage, tinkering with a new project, and sometimes fixing something that wasn’t even broken just for fun.He was a woodworker at heart, building bird houses and water wheels with expert craftsmanship. When not creating a wooden masterpiece, he could be found at the Tradelot, scouring for the best deals, and always coming home with a gem.Wilburn will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He was a man that loved deeply and always thought of others before himself. A time to support the family, share memories, and receive friends will be on Friday, August 27, 2021 from 1:00 pm until 2:00 pm at the Altapass Church of God. The funeral service will be on Friday, August 27, 2021 at 2:00 pm at the Altapass Church of God with Rev. Steve Davis officiating. Interment will be in the McKinney Gap Cemetery.The family would like to extend a heartfelt ‘Thank You’ to Care Partners of McDowell County for their care of Wilburn.Words of comfort may be emailed to the family by going to our website: www.webbfh.com, selecting Wilburn Wise’s name and then you may sign his guestbook. Webb Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements for Mr. Wise and is honored to be serving the Wise family. Mr. Wise’s obituary has also been posted on Facebook for viewing.Read Obituary