Tobin Clayton McBee

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who revere Him.”

Tobin Clayton McBee was 103 years, two months and three days old when he stepped into heaven, his eternal home. He was so glad to finally be at HOME and reunited with his wife of seventy years, Faye, his son, Randall and his mother, Thelma Howard Heath and father James William McBee. Tobin, Toby to all his beloved family and friends, was not sick or in pain of any kind to the end. His heart simply faded and then he was in the arms of Jesus. He leaves his family with a sweet legacy of love, memories, amazing ethics of hard work, incredible health and service to The Lord. He was born on October 7, 1921, to Thelma Howard and James William McBee in Denison, Texas. He stepped into heaven on December 10, 2024.

Toby is survived by Randall’s wife, Terrill Allen, granddaughter Heather Butscher, her husband Brian, his great granddaughter Lily, his great grandson Hayes; his granddaughter, Katie Abbott, her husband Geoff, his great-grandson, Clayton. His daughter Peggy Jones, his granddaughter Amy Jones, his great-granddaughter Madeline Butler, her husband Brendan, his great-great granddaughter Logan; his great-grandson, Landen Robeson; his grandson TJ, his wife Lorie, his great-grandsons, Tobin, Levi, Tracen and Lincoln. His son Kenneth McBee, his wife Dolores, his grandson Lionel (Lonnie) his wife Erika, his great-granddaughter Elliott Clifton, her husband Jimmy and soon to arrive great-great granddaughter Lois Marie in April, his great-grandson Blaine; his granddaughter Rachel McBee-Moore, her husband Melvin, his great-granddaughters Chloe and Rae; his grandson Timothy, his wife Elizabeth, his great-grandson Liam, great-granddaughter Iola; His granddaughter Melissa, his great-grandson Dillon; his great-granddaughters Laurie Ann, Lizzie and Lily.

Toby and his mother and grandmother, Lela Mae Howard moved to Houston when he was a year old. He went through Houston schools. Woodrow Wilson Elementary School, Lanier Jr High, and Lamar High School (Class of 1940). Thelma, his mother, built one of the first homes in West University on Annapolis Street in the mid 1930s which is still a beautiful home today. Toby visited his father in Dallas as often as he could. He loved working in his father’s grocery store. Toby loved waiting on all those who came into the store. He developed a love for people and never met a stranger. He thrived on socializing with friends. He was one of the few young men with a car at the end of the war. He would load up his friends and head for Galveston as often as he could. His love for friends lasted his entire life. Even at his last home in League City at Orchard Park Assisted Living, the staff loved coming to his room to visit with him. He loved them as much as they loved him.

Toby volunteered for the Merchant Marines in 1941 and served for two years. His service took him to many ports of call and fun shoreline adventures. He then joined the Army, and his first deployment was in San Francisco on Angel Island-adjacent to Alcatraz. He then was sent to St. John, Newfoundland, Canada where he served for two years. He shares stories of frigid temperatures, banks of snow, long walks back to the barracks when he missed the truck at shift change. (That really only happened once) At that time he vowed that when he got his discharge, he was moving south and if it got colder than 54 degrees, he promised he would move further south! We are so glad he landed in Houston and met our mother, Faye Decker.

He was introduced to Faye by his many friends. They were married in 1946 at Houston’s First Baptist church when the church was located at 1010 Lamar in downtown Houston. Much to our surprise, he told us just a few months ago that their wedding reception was at the Rice Hotel in downtown and they went to Galveston for their honeymoon and stayed at the Galvez Hotel. Toby and Faye loved living in Houston. Their first home was in Bellaire on Phil Street. When their family outgrew that home, they moved the family way out to Sharpstown—a booming new subdivision, the largest home development in the State of Texas at that time. That home became the starting place of the journey for them and their three kids. Toby and Faye were charter members of Bellaire Baptist Church and then Richmond Plaza Baptist in 1951, where Toby served as a deacon and Faye served faithfully. They worked tirelessly to help families grow in their relationship with the Lord in a rich, bible-based environment. They both led many people to a saving relationship with Christ. The leadership and example of our parents’ love for God have made a lasting mark on the lives of the three of us, Randy, Peggy and Kenny to accept Jesus as our Savior through the teachings of our parents. Right before Toby’s 103rd birthday, we found a Commitment Card to pray for their family in Faye’s bible. They had both signed it—in 1956. We felt their lifetime of prayers and have followed their example throughout our lives.

Toby had an impeccable work ethic. He worked for Hughes Tool Company (Howard Hughes’ company that made oil well drilling bits and sold them worldwide) from the time he graduated from high school to the time he retired—45 years. His job was saved for him while he served in the military. He was a sheet metal worker and fitted all the machinery to work efficiently. He was lovingly nicknamed by his co-workers as The Tin Man.

With a growing family, he and Faye both worked hard at their full-time jobs. However, they never left the kids alone. Toby chose to work the graveyard shift so he could be with the kids when Faye was working (First State Bank of Bellaire for 30 years) He soon realized they needed more income. He worked at Rice Stadium on weekends ushering events at the stadium. When the Astrodome was built, he ushered evenings and weekends working all the events there---from football games, the Rodeo, Concerts and even the Billy Graham Crusade. He loved that job because he was around tons of people—and he served them with that contagious smile and joyful spirit of his. His love for people has affected each one of us in our life’s callings as we love God and love people…sharing Jesus with so many.

In the last two years, while his energy level waned, there was nothing wrong with his mind. When it looked like he was napping in his chair, he would say that his eyes were closed so that he could replay the memories of his life…the wonderful times with family and friends, the adventures of traveling around the world with the Merchant Marines and the US Army, the people he had met along the way. He would say, “You know, we’ve had a wonderful life. And you kids got to do things that other families never got to do. I wouldn’t trade anything for the life we’ve had.” He lived his life with no regrets—from loving his parents, grandmother, young friends, church friends, people he made his friends-even for a few minutes at an event, Masonic friends (He was a lifetime member of the Houston Park Place Masonic Lodge # 1172 for over 60 years) and especially his wife and all of his children who counted him as a dear friend and wonderful father, grandfather, great-grand father and great-great-grandfather. Our parents leave us with a wonderful legacy of which we will honor through our lifetimes. Their names and family names will live on to the third, fourth and fifth generations: Randall Tobin, Kenneth Howard, Tobin Allen, Faye Kathleen, Clayton Robert, and Iola Faye. What privilege to bear the names of our family linages.

It brings our family great comfort to know that we will see our parents again in eternity because God’s Word assures us that when we have surrendered ourselves to the forgiveness of Christ who bore our sins on the cross and was raised to life on the third day, conquering death and sin. Then we will have eternal live in heaven with Him and all those who have made that same commitment. We had the honor of experiencing an earthly father’s love that mirrored our heavenly Father’s love which enabled us to freely trust in His fatherly love and care. We have been and will continue to be blessed because of Faye and Toby McBee.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul and all that is within me. Bless His Holy Name.”