Carol Wilburn
Carol Ann Wilburn, 76, passed away on October 9th, 2026 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital following a long struggle with heart disease.
Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky to Jack and Patricia Wilburn, Carol had a life-long love of learning and gardening with dreams of becoming a writer. She graduated from Indiana University and proudly returned to her hometown working at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts where she became Vice President for Programming. Carol earned a master’s degree in environmental design from Cornell University studying the productivity and creativity of businesses who shared physical facilities. She went on to become Executive Director of Cornell University’s Theater and Dance Program.
She made Santa Barbara her home in 2001 when she moved with her husband Charles McClintock and son Kevin McClintock from Ithaca, New York. Carol continued her contributions to the performing arts, serving on the Board of Directors for the Center for the Performing Arts/Granada Theatre as well as the Ensemble Theater Company during its transition to The New Vic.
Carol and her family were blessed to have several dedicated caregivers during the last years of her life. Their skill and compassion contributed greatly to her quality of life. She made them feel like family always joking that they were just having fun together.
In addition to her husband and son, Carol leaves behind her stepson, Scott McClintock and his family including three grandchildren, and her sister Linda “Bunny” Taylor and her family including many nieces, nephews grandnieces and grandnephews.
Carol’s dream was to publish a book of her poems. The dream came true with the recent release of her book, A Welling, published by Sungold Editions, Santa Barbara. Her lifelong friend and author Cedar Koons wrote for the book cover: “Her poems bring time and place into focus by depicting what is real and momentary”.
Carol will be deeply missed for her loving spirit, award-winning poetry, dedication to the arts, and undying devotion to family and friends.
