Published in The Daily Reflector on January 2, 2011 Greenville, North Carolina Mr. G. A. "Doc" Hilburn, 86, died peacefully surrounded by his children on Friday, Dec. 31, 2010. A private family service will be held in Greenville and entombment will be at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens, Ft. Pierce, Fla. Mr. Hilburn was born in St. Cloud, Fla., and lived his early life in Plant City, Fla. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the outbreak of the Second World War and served as a medical corpsman in the Caribbean on the sub chaser U.S. 682. He then served at the Naval Officer Training Center at Mercer University. There he met Patricia (Pat) Henrietta Brewster and married her on March 10, 1946. After completing his undergraduate degree at Stetson University, he earned his Juris Doctorate degree from Mercer in 1949. He then moved to Tallahassee and Daytona Beach, Fla., before settling in Ft. Pierce, Fla. For many years, he worked in insurance adjusting and risk management throughout the state of Florida. After retirement, Pat and Doc moved to Murphy, where Doc realized his lifelong dream of living in the mountains. They moved to Greenville in 1995. He was predeceased by his wife, Patricia "Pat" Hilburn; son, Alan; and sister, Betty Kay Wright. He is survived by his children and their spouses, Gwynett Hilburn and husband Jim Holte, Kathy Hilburn and husband Martin Misner, Mitchell Hilburn, Nancy Hilburn and husband Robert Trenkle; six grandchildren, Molly Hilburn-Holte, Jason Walters, Patrick Hilburn, Luke Hilburn Bernard, Rebekah Hilburn-Trenkle, Christopher Hilburn-Trenkle; and his twin sister, Jewel Lovelace and her husband Bob of Bradenton, Fla. Doc's children will tell you there are no words to express what a wonderful man he was. His light filled their lives and will continue to show them the way in their earthly journey. He will forever be their hero. The family will receive friends from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday at Wilkerson Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Patrick Alan Hilburn Memorial Scholarship Fund, IRSC Foundation, Indian River State College, 3209 Virginia Avenue, Fort Pierce, FL 34981. Online condolences at www.wilkersonfuneralhome.com.