ELLERBE — Wilbur Kinchen Snipes, 77, of Ellerbe passed away Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill.
Wilbur was born Aug. 18, 1941 in Robeson County, North Carolina, a son of the late Albert and Aletha Bridgeman Snipes. He loved his church, Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church, where he was a member and president of the men’s group. One of his other loves was youth baseball. He coached American Legion Baseball, was an assistant coach for Richmond Senior High School Baseball, was Eastern North Carolina Babe Ruth State Commissioner and was awarded 1989 Amateur Volunteer Baseball Coach of the Year by the U.S. Baseball Federation. He had also coached basketball at Hamlet Junior High School. He retired in 2001 as director of the Hamlet Parks and Recreation Department. Through his career and coaching he was a mentor to and touched the lives of many. He was also an avid UNC Tar Heel fan.
Surviving are his wife of 56 years, Ella Mae Hancock Snipes of the home; daughter, Kim Snipes Chapman (Gene) of Cheraw, South Carolina; granddaughter, Carley Chapman of Marietta, Georgia; brother, William Snipes of Grandview, Missouri; sisters, Ann Sturdivant of Aberdeen, North Carolina, Tilly Scott of Foxfire, North Carolina; aunt, Sue Neal Lupo of Rural Hall, North Carolina; and his beloved pet, Meme.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church, 861 Grassy Island Road, Ellerbe with the Rev. Elizabeth Polk officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.
The family will see friends from 6-8 p.m. Saturday at Carter Funeral Home in Ellerbe and at other times at the home.
Memorials may be made to Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church.
Condolences may be made online at www.carterfuneral.net.
