Sally Cornell Wilborn, 90, passed away of natural causes at Country Meadows Retirement Community in Mechanicsburg on Friday, April 11, 2025.
She is survived by her two daughters: Susan Branner and Betsy Malloy with husband, Matthew; plus, three grandsons: Luke Malloy, Zachary and William Branner.
She was predeceased by her parents: Sallie and Harold Cornell, her husband: Thomas L. Wilborn, and a grandson: Andrew Branner.
Sally was born in Montgomery, Alabama, on October 27, 1934, and graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts in Education. She also completed a Master of Arts in Education from the University of Kentucky. She began her teaching career in the Lexington public school district.
Following graduation, she married Thomas L. Wilborn, to whom she was married to for 70 years. They spent their early married years teaching in Kentucky and later moved to Bandung, Indonesia, where they worked at the Institut Teknologi Bandung. Sally served as a teacher to the children of the other United States personnel serving there.
Returning to the United States, Sally taught Education at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri, and then James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, before settling in Carlisle where she worked at the United States Army War College as an early education childhood specialist. She and Tom enjoyed traveling to many countries in Asia and Europe. She also enjoyed spending time in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She was an expert knitter and embroiderer and spent much of her time knitting hats and gloves for children at local hospitals and in hospitals in Korea.
She loved her family, collecting antique pressed glass, reading mystery novels, classical music, traveling the world and attending the Metropolitan Opera either in New York City or at the movie theater.
A celebration of Sally’s life and the interment of ashes for both Sally and Tom will be held at 10:30am on June 6 at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, led by Reverend Donald Potter.
Memorial contributions may be made to: Church World Service, PO Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

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