Katherine Wilburn

Katherine (Kathy) Wilburn, a resident of Gulf Breeze, Florida passed away on Sunday, February 11, 2018. Ms. Wilburn was born on June 3, 1934 in Athens, TN to LeeVada and Minis Wilburn. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers Jack Wilburn and Kenneth Wilburn.
Kathy is survived by three nieces, Jill Harper of Gulf Breeze, FL; Patricia W. Fisher of Pensacola, FL and Stacey W. House of Watkinsville, GA, as well as her nephews Jason Wilburn of Navarre Beach; and Mike Wilburn of Chatsworth, GA.

Kathy was an honor graduate from Murray County High School, Chatsworth, GA in 1953 where she was an outstanding basketball player. She was Captain of her team her Junior year and Co-Captain her Senior year. She was also voted Most Athletic her Senior year. She belonged to Beta Club, Secretary of TryHi-Y Club, Future Business Leaders of America, M Club, Arrowhead Staff, Cheerleader for football team and belonged to the Girls Glee Club where she was Soloist.

After graduating high school, she attended Herrin School of Business in Dalton, GA from 1953 to 1955 where she took classes to further her career in business and successfully completed these courses.
Kathy went to work for Dalton Federal Savings as Secretary to the Executive Vice President in 1953 and spent several years in various banking positions. In 1960 she made a change from banking and found a very challenging position with The Udylite Corporation who were in the Electroplating field. She worked for Udylite for 12 years and after leaving there was offered a position with M&T Chemicals, a competitor, (through acquisitions later to be AtoTech USA, division of TOTAL PETRO), as their Inside Sales Person. Kathy was given the challenge by her District Manager to start Telemarketing in the Atlanta office which she did and was very successful, thus later inspiring the home office to set up telemarketing nationally and was credited for inspiring this move. The telemarketing in the Southern States lead the way for her to be offered an outside sales position when they decided to close the Atlanta office. These positions being dominated by men was indeed a challenge which she accepted and was Sales Person of the year her first year out and again in 1989. She increased sales in her territories, TX, ARK, LA and parts of MS from one million dollars in 1988 to over three and one half million dollars in 1989. This was the largest in the Division.

Kathy was hired as an inside Sales Representative, the first woman to hold this position and was their only female to be successful at outside sales. She looked on this phase of her life as a challenge she met with enthusiasm and some of the very best years of her life. She loved her company, her customers and her work.

At the time of her retirement in 2001, Kathy had worked for AtoTech USA for 29 plus years and was residing in Round Rock, TX. She moved to Gulf Breeze that same year to be near family.

Kathy was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Gulf Breeze where a Celebration of Life Service will take place at 10:00 AM, Wednesday, February 21, 2018. A reception will follow immediately in the fellowship hall.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial contribution in Kathy's memory to St. Paul UMC or to The Wounded Warriors Project. https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

Service

Memorial Contributions