Margaret Jean Wilburn was born December 14, 1926 in Rochester, New York, where she grew up the only child of high school math teacher Louis Hagen and his wife Marie. She graduated with honors from the College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio, in 1948 where she majored in mathematics. After working several years for the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, Margaret married Herbert R. Wilburn of West Palm Beach, Florida, on June 2, 1951. Herb was starting a career as a microscopist at Eastman Kodak. The couple had their first child, a son, David, in March of 1952. A second son, Clark, would follow in 1958. The family would move out of Rochester to the nearby suburb of Greece, New York, in 1964. In addition to raising two boys, Margaret would devote herself to church activities, the DAR, the League of Women Voters, and Meals on Wheels. Margaret's leisure time interests included reading, cards and family vacations.

Upon retirement, Margaret and Herb relocated to Inlet Oaks Village in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, seeking a quieter alternative to Florida. They became members of Belin United Methodist Church, where Margaret participated by managing the library for a time, belonging to the women's circles, helping with the senior breakfasts, the prison ministry, and the Blessing of The Inlet. In addition, she would often accompany her husband to various nursing homes and other organizations to present travel programs which often featured photos involving their adventures crewing for and flying in hot air balloons. The Wilburns traveled extensively during their early years in South Carolina. New Zealand, Spain, the British Isles, Western Europe, the American West, and the Caribbean comprise many of their destinations. They also very much enjoyed educational opportunities gained through participation in Elder Hostel programs throughout the U.S. and Canada.

In their later years, Margaret and Herb cut back on their travel. Margaret continued to enjoy playing cards with friends at Belin or Inlet Oaks and she read every mystery to be found. When Herb began to decline, they cut back their activities further and she devoted herself to looking after her husband until his passing in 2012. Margaret herself would pass on October 27, 2022. Her remains will soon be interred next to her husband in the cemetery adjacent to Belin United Methodist Church's Family Life Center. She is survived by two sons: David, who resides in Denver, Colorado, with his wife, Phyllis and two sons, and Clark, who has been in Murrells Inlet, assisting his parents during recent years.