Christopher Mack Wilburn

Christopher Mack Wilburn passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of March 7, 2016. He was the only son born to Robert McAuley and Ingre Mary Gatherum Wilburn on March 23, 1922, which also happened to be his Father’s twenty-sixth birthday. He was named after his grandfather, Christopher Wilburn; however his parents called him Mack. He was born in his parent’s bedroom and had auburn hair and a redheaded complexion like his mother. He joined two older sisters, Genevieve and Arline, and was later followed by two younger sisters, Jean and Patricia.

Mack graduated from South High school. He was an ambitious boy, always cutting lawns and having two newspaper routes to earn spending money. After graduating from high school he decided to go to Business College to become a bookkeeper. He began earning money for his schooling by working as a meat cutter for a man in his ward named Harold Allred. He discovered he enjoyed cutting meat and chatting with customers so decided to change his vocation.

Mack enjoyed going to the school dances at South High and in September of 1942 one of his friends asked him to trade a dance which is how he met fifteen year old Jean Horman. Eventually Mack asked her for a date, which was the beginning of many fun times for the two.

The world was experiencing the reign of Adolph Hitler and twenty year old Mack knew he was about to be drafted as were all the young men in the nation, so in September of 1942 he drove to Ogden and enlisted in the Navy Air Corp. A year later he was called to active duty, and before leaving, he pinned Jean with his Eagle Scout pin. Saying goodbye was painful because they didn’t know if they would see each other again. Mack did marry his sweetheart, Jean Horman, and took her to the Salt Lake Temple on April 4, 1945 and together they had eight precious children.

Mack had a passion for sports. As a youth and young man, he played on ward baseball and basketball teams. He loved watching or listening to the Jazz games. He enjoyed bowling and in 1948 he joined a bowling league and continued to bowl through his senior years. His favorite sport, however, was fishing where he loved being in the outdoors casting his line in pursuit of the big one! He was so proficient at fishing that he became the appointed Fishing Merit Badge Counselor in the Stake, assisting many young men on their journey to attaining their Eagle Scout Award.

Mack was preceded in death by his parents, and siblings Genevieve Phirman, Arline Anderson, Jean Koer, daughters, Glorya Eve, Lawanna Mary Ricks (Kent) and son-in-law, Jan Hendrix (Sylvia). He is survived by his wife, Jean Adaline Wilburn, children Sylvia Wilburn, Christy Webb (Dean), Merrilee Christiansen (Barney), Tom Wilburn (Janice), Tim Wilburn (Susan), Connie Sims (Doug) and many beautiful grandchildren and great grandchildren. Also survived by his sister Patricia Kimball (Ken).

Funeral services will be held Friday, March 11, 2016 at 11:00 am at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary, located at 3401 S Highland Drive, SLC, Utah. Viewings will be held on Thursday, March 10, 2016 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Wasatch Lawn Mortuary and Friday, March 11, 2016 from 10:00 to 10:45 am. Interment will be at Wasatch Lawn immediately following the funeral service