Wilburn Hastings, Jr. 79, of Shelbyville, died Friday July 18, 2008 at Middle Tennessee Veterans Home in Murfreesboro after an extended illness. Funeral services were 2 p.m. Monday July 21, 2008 at Feldhaus Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Steve Murphree and the Rev. Jimmy Tedder officiating. Burial, with full military honors, followed in Rosebank Cemetery in Flat Creek, Tennessee. Visitation was held from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday.

A native of Brentwood, Wilburn and his family relocated to Shelbyville, TN over 37 years ago where he became a permanent fixture in the real estate business of Bedford and surrounding counties, handling real estate transactions with many 3rd and 4th generations of the same families.  A graduate of East High School of Nashville in 1947, he then attended the University of Tennessee at Nashville. He was a licensed Realtor since 1968.

An Army veteran of the Korean War, Commander of VFW Post #5019 for many years, District 5 Veterans of Foreign Wars Commander for 3 years, All American Commander Veterans of Foreign Wars, member of the American Legion, Commander of the Shelbyville Veterans Council, he was instrumental in the construction of the Veterans Memorial Plaza on the Shelbyville Town Square.  He was often seen volunteering in the VFW booth during horse shows held at the Celebration grounds.  He was a volunteer at Alvin York Veterans Hospital where he pushed wheelchair patients to chapel services and held Bingo and Carnival game nights with them.

He was an enthusiast of Tennessee Walking Horses, owning such greats as "Jorge", "Skywatches Motown Magic", "Ritz's Big Money", "Tex R Us", and "Tex's Dinero" just to name a few.  He purchased his first Walking Horse in 1967, attending every National Celebration since 1965.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Anita Walters Hastings of Shelbyville; two daughters: Sandra (Jerry) Reid, and Sheila Tucker, both of Shelbyville; Four Grandchildren: Danielle and Sara Ashley Reid, Mathew and Ron Tucker all of Shelbyville, and 5 great-grandchildren.

The family would like to express their thanks to all of you that spoke so lovingly of him in their time of sorrow. Your cards of sympathy, flowers, memorial gifts, meals of mercy, and visits to stand with them at his coffin have shown your respect for a man that cared for so many, loved his country and his family above all else, and who's life had great worth. They ask that you remember him as a person who treated everyone the same - It didn't matter if anyone else thought you were important, he thought you were!   This was so very apparent as story after story unfolded as people from all walks of life visited with them to honor this man.