He was born into a family of commercial hunters and fishermen who have a love for the outdoors and nature’s creatures in their natural habitat!  Wilbert did his fi hunt at the tender age of 10 when a large group of hunters was scheduled and his father’s scheduled guide was a no show. The burly hunters had the best time ever with little Wilbert as their guide.

His first pay for his first day at work was ten dollaes.  Not bad for a 10 year kid in 1946 and way ahead of his age!  Word caught on in North Carolina and its neighboring states about Captain Wilbert and his father Woodrow and they prospered! 

There were no roads where they lived only horse and buggy or by canal to get to Worth Gard’s the local dry goods store.  As the business grew larger so did Wilbert’s wallet!  Every chance he could he would catch a ride to the Five and Dime in Elizabeth City to buy clothes for him and his younger sister!

Business was brisk as Mrs. Whitson had to book customers 5 month’s ahead to accommodate the demand for Woodrow and his son the Captain!  She also had to have provisions for food and lodging as well!  It was a family thing and teamwork was essential!

Wilbert had to wait a year to start school because he was too young at the time!  As Life went on he quit school in the ninth grade to help with the family business which was bustling and the cash flow outweighed the education!

On his eighteenth birthday Wilbert joined the United States Coast Guard rather than wait for the draft!  On leave one year he decided to get married! They had 3 children all when he was out to sea and it was then he decided “the Coast Guard is not for me.” He missed his family.

So he quit the Coast Guard and became a guide for the North Carolina Game and Wildlife Department where he remained till his last day on earth in July of 2010!  His memory will be passed from one generation to the next for sure and when you get to Heaven Captain Wilbert will be your guide! 

He left the Coast Guard and became a North Carolina Game and Wildlife Guide for the remainder of his Life! 

He met Anne his wife on Halloween, 2002!  It was a Cinderella moment for her….like in a dream….but really real!  They were married the following March 16th 2003 at the Barco Nursing Center so his parents who were living there could attend!  That’s the type of guy the Captain was!  Anne thought of him more as a best friend rather than her husband!  He was there to comfort and console her when she needed someone to talk to. The Captain was a wonderful husband and father, friend, guide, and mentored many!

The Lord Shepherded Wilbert home to Heaven on 7/3/2010!  Here on Earth his memory will be passed on from one generation to the next!  But when you get to Heaven he’ll be your guide!