SANFORD MALONE WILBOURN,

96, died on Feb. 27, 2023 after a short illness. Born in England, Ark. on Oct. 5, 1926, he was the son of Sanford and Ethel Malone Wilbourn.

During his teenage years, the family moved to Lonoke where he attended high school and discovered a passion for engineering.

In 1942 at age 16, Sanford entered the University of Arkansas. After his freshman year, he joined the army to support the United States in World War II. He was selected to study engineering as part of an Army Specialized Training Program. Ultimately, the Army sent him to Stanford University, where, with the help of the GI bill, he graduated and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees with honors in civil engineering in 1946.

He returned to Arkansas after graduation, settling in Little Rock, and marrying Mary Virginia Stallings of Morrilton. They had two sons, Sandy and Chris.

After working for Marion L. Crist and Associates for several years, Sanford joined an engineering partnership with Neal and Mark Garver in 1956. They incorporated as Garver & Garver in 1958. Sanford helped Garver grow rapidly, being instrumental in the design of bridges, and roads for the interstate highway system and the Arkansas Highway Department. In 1970, Sanford became Garver’s President and CEO and continued leading Garver, until his retirement in 1991. During his tenure, Garver & Garver grew to become the largest consulting civil engineering firm in Arkansas. Sanford’s work was instrumental in the planning, design, and construction of hundreds of local infrastructure projects, notably: the I-630 expressway, the Little Rock Port, the Arkansas McClellan Kerr Lock and Dam System, the I-440 Causeway and Arkansas River Bridge as well as the Bill and Hillary Clinton Airport (formerly LR National Airport). Now named Garver, the company has continued to expand, building on Sanford’s legacy of excellence in design and teamwork, and is a major regional consulting engineering firm with over 1000 employees.

Sanford was active in the Arkansas engineering community. He served as the board president for the Arkansas State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Professional Surveyors from 1982-1992 and was elected to the Arkansas Construction Hall of Fame in 2002.

After the death of Mary Virigina, his wife of 50 years, he was married in 2002 to Carlyn Langston. They enjoyed an enlarged family, extensive travel, and supporting the Arkansas arts community until her death in 2011.

Sanford was a long term volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, earning silver beaver award for adult leadership and being instrumental in creation of the Cove Creek (now Gus Blass) Scout Reservation. He was a longtime member of the Rotary Club of West Little Rock, patron of Arkansas Repertory, and a member of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church for over 60 years. He was an avid tennis player for over forty years.

Sanford had an informal style that put people at ease as he demanded excellence from himself and all around him. He was an optimist who brought his ability to ‘build bridges’ to the future in every activity from working with his clients, solving problems at work, supporting community organizations, participating in church and loving his family.

He is survived by his sons, Sandy Wilbourn (Joanne) of Palo Alto, Calif., and Chris Wilbourn of Little Rock, Ark.; grandchildren, Mary Carmina Wilbourn of Palo Alto, Calif., Steven Wilbourn of Washington D.C., and Rachel Wilbourn of Pensacola, Fla.; step-children, Ann Cooper of Hot Springs, Ark., Sandy Watson (Sam) of Maumelle, Ark., Laurie Brookes (John) of Maumelle, Ark., Hodie Langston (Inez) of Springdale, Ark.; step-daughters-in-law, Kelle Langston Christian (Dodson) of Maumelle, Ark., Crystal Langston of Fayetteville, Ark., and Annie Langston of Fayetteville, Ark.; 13 step- grandchildren and 17 step-great-grandchildren Service to be held 2 p.m. March 17th, 2023 at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in Little Rock.

Donations to go to St Francis House, 2701 S. Elm Little Rock, Ark. 72204 http://stfrancishouselr.org. Arrangements are under the direction of RuebelFuneralHome.com