Bobby Lee Jobe

Bobby Lee Jobe “Bob” to all who knew and loved him, was born June 24, 1930 in Point, Texas, as the only child of Elbert and Viona Jobe. He married his high-school sweetheart, Anne Halverson in 1950. Their marriage lasted 56 adventurous years and ended when Anne passed away in 2006. He is survived by daughter Peggy Kennimer, and two sons, Terry Jobe and his wife Tiffany, Rick Jobe, and his wife Jubely. He is also survived by 7 beloved grandchildren: four granddaughters, Disa Tucker, Kelcie Neves, Sasha Rodriquez, Madison Jobe, and 3 grandsons, Brian Jobe, Jonathon Jobe, and Alan Jobe. His eyes lit up each time one of them entered the room. The 6 great grand-children were precious to him, but his aging process limited his participation in their lives. Bob will also be missed greatly by Debbie Denham, his friend and caregiver for the last several years of his life.

Those are some basic facts about Bob. But that doesn’t begin to portray the exuberant, driven man that he was. His ready smile, quick wit and outgoing personality ensured that there were no strangers in his life. Everyone was just a friend that he hadn’t met. This personality made him a natural salesman and resulted in him being the top salesman for Ace Drill Bushing Co. for many years. It also made him an ideal greeter for the Arlington SDA church. Each Sabbath he made it his mission to meet and greet everyone who entered. All were welcomed with a smile, a warm handshake and/or a hug.

Like many before and since, he decided to reinvent his life in his mid-years. So he attended Andrews University and received a Master’s Degree in Education in 1964. He then spent two years as a school principal and high school teacher.

During his teaching tenure at the small church school, he reinvented recess with an active athletic program. The students appreciated that he was on the field, not the sidelines, while they were playing Speedball (a variation of soccer) or shooting hoops or whatever other sport the weather and equipment allowed.

Principal Bob realized the importance of outside the classroom learning. He presented the idea of ‘school at camp’ to parents and the school board during his first year of teaching. He put his salesman hat on and overcame their skepticism. He assured them that a week at the Athens Junior Camp would put school first and fun second. They agreed, and he followed through. And yes, we learned more during that week than the rest of the year. Classes and study halls were done in strict order and near silence. Every pupil did every problem on every assignment. Then after class – the lake, skiing, horsing around with friends, games, silly singing. Parents and board approved school at camp the second year too.

But there was a reality that he couldn’t escape. His students remember well that last day of school in May, of 1966. Principal Jobe affirmed that he had enjoyed teaching. Then he added, “You can take the man out of sales, but you can’t take sales out of the man.” He returned to Ace Drill Bushing and excelled again. Eventually he started his own business, Healthstar Marketing, where he formatted and produced brochures for medical institutions. His children recall the fun they had during the summers, when the whole family accompanied him on his sales trips. Swimming in hotel pools, exploring new cities, eating out (not doing dishes) made a lot of fun memories.

No one ever accused Bob of being a couch potato. He loved to take his family camping, and go motorcycle riding with his sons. In fact, in his late 60’s he had a terrible motorcycle accident when ascending a too-steep hill. Though seriously injured, he recovered fully, and resumed an active lifestyle. He enjoyed racquetball, basketball, water and snow skiing. These early activities influenced his children to enjoy a variety of outdoor and athletic hobbies as well. This interest in athletic pursuits served him well and he remained capable of playing a mean game of racquetball and basketball – against younger opponents – until nearly 80.

Bob finally retired from work at the age of 78. Career travel was replaced by recreational trips to see friends and family. He passed away quietly on February 9, 2018 at his home in Arlington, Texas. He leaves his family a legacy of hard work, financial responsibility and Christian values.