Wilbur Riley Hatcher, 85, of Ocala, Florida peacefully departed this life on Sunday, December 12, 2021. He was born January 30, 1936 in Oxford, Florida, the son of the late Edgar Bryant and Lettie Mae Hatcher. He was a member of the graduating class of 1953 of Summerfield High School where he lettered in football and was co-valedictorian. On January 2, 1955, Wilbur married his loving wife, Sylvia, in Brunswick, Georgia. Together the two shared almost 67 years of marriage. Wilbur was a member of Northside Missionary Baptist Church of Ocala for over 45 years serving in a variety of leadership positions including deacon. He was a long-time Florida Gators football fan and season ticket holder. Wilbur served as president and general manager of the South Atlantic News agency until his retirement. He was a past member of the Ocala Kiwanis Club for 5 years. Wilbur was especially proud of his six post-retirement years working with U.S. Representative, The Honorable Cliff Stearns. Wilbur is survived by his loving wife, Sylvia; his children, Gene Hatcher of Tallahassee, Florida and Scott (Kim) Hatcher of Pedro, Florida; grandchildren, Brooke Hummel, Garrett Hatcher, Amber Hatcher, Kevin Kennel, Aaron Hatcher, Kyle Kennel, Meredith Houston and Kelsey Greer; great-grandchildren, Sidney Hummel, Saige Hummel, Connor Hummel, Bentley Hatcher, Jacob Hatcher, Koston Hatcher, Aubrey Houston, Autumn Houston, Fallyn Hatcher, Presley Hatcher, Kaisley Kennel and Kingston Kennel. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Robert, Edward, Russell, and Kenneth Hatcher; his sister, Mary Hardee and his grandson, Reese Hatcher.
A celebration of Wilbur’s life will be held at 3:00pm on Saturday, December 18 at Northside Missionary Baptist Church of Ocala (2321 NE 11th Ave, Ocala, FL 34470). A graveside service will follow on Sunday, December 19 at Highland Memorial Park (1515 NE 3rd Street) at 3:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Marion County and/or St. Jude Children’s Hospital.