Wilbur T. Herrington (1928 – 2012)
WUOG's Beloved and Well-Respected Station Engineer for 35 Years
They say that in order to fully understand where you are and where you’re going, you have to know where you came from. In other words, know about your history and what led you to the position that you are in now. As WUOG celebrates 40 years on the air, there are two things that have remained a part of WUOG’s storied history, the Highland Carolina Urban Legend and undisputed #1 fan, Richard Worley, and the man that really started it all, and very much is a legend in his own right, Mr. Wilbur Herrington. Sadly, on the morning of March 29th, 2012, we here at WUOG received the unfortunate word that arguably the Heart and Soul of this station had passed on. Wilbur T. Herrington, or simply “Wilbur” as he preferred to be called, died in the early morning hours of that Thursday due to a brain tumor.
While the newer generation of Wuoggers may not have had to chance to see or directly work with Wilbur (as he officially retired as our station engineer in 2011), to the hundreds of WUOG alumni as well as current staffers that did interact with Wilbur at some capacity, he was an integral part of our lives at WUOG, that unfortunately is no longer here…but only in the physical sense. See, Wilbur had such a beautiful soul that he was more than just our station engineer, or some person that our lobby was recently dedicated to. He was a true inspiration to the many people he came in contact with, dating back to when the station first came on the air in October 16, 1972, that will last for forever and a day. Whether it was his undying love for his wife and children, the many priceless stories/experiences that he shared with Wuoggers over the years, or his undeniable passion and pride for all that he has done for this station through the triumphs and hardships, all in order for it to be the local, national and even internationally-recognized organization that it is now and will continue to be, Wilbur, you and your family have touched many lives, left an incomparable and irreplaceable legacy, and forever will be the proverbial patriarch and Heart and Soul of this WUOG family.
Below you will find the links to the official obituary where you can post your tributes, photos, videos, etc. and an article that was published in this week’s Red & Black featuring words from Wilbur’s colleagues and friends. Also below, you will information about Wilbur’s memorial service that will be taking place next Thursday, April 12th, and finally, in lieu of flowers/gifts, the family requested that all donations be made to the American Cancer Society. Forty years is a long time on the air, but the actions and influence of one man will last for a lifetime. You will be missed Wilbur, but you will remain in all of our Hearts and WUOG will continue on in your honor. Rest in Love!
RED & BLACK ARTICLE (Published April 3, 2012)
Wilbur Herrington Memorial Service
Thursday April 12th, 2012 @ 11AM
Smoke Rise Baptist Church
5901 Hugh Howell Road
Stone Mountain, Georgia 30087
I knew Wilbur from 1976-1980 when I worked at the station. He and Alvin were invaluable assistants who never questioned the crazy things we were doing. They just tried to help keep us functioning and legal. We increased our transmitting power to 50,000 watts during that time, and of course this would not have been possible without Wilbur. Everyone who wasn’t a student seemed old to me at that time, and through the years it surprised me that Wilbur stayed on so long. I think about all the different types of people he must have encountered at the station and how he got along with everyone. I wonder what kind of music he liked? I guess I should have asked him. God bless you and your family. Well done. Thanks for everything. You helped us learn and have a lot of fun and maybe do some good for the community, too.
Thanks a lot…
Hello, Thanks for your post, it seems that you know what are you doing. I’ll be looking forward to coming again….
Thanks a lot…
Hi there, Thanks for your post, it seems that you know what are you doing. I’ll be looking forward for next article of yours….
Thanks a lot…
Hello, Thanks for your post, it was really informative. I’ll be looking forward for your next post….
Wilbur dealt with several decades (and no doubt several attitudes) of college students and college administrations. Whatever challenges arose, he loved the students, he loved his calling, he loved life.
We should all be so wise.
Wilbur was a nice man.