Robert Wesley Colvin

Exodus 20:12: “Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”

He loved his father and mother to the extreme…

He was born in Rockford, Illinois on June 27, 1913.

At 16, he went to work in a dental lab and became a dental technician.

At 18, he married Margaret Zumbro. They were married for 36 years.

During World War II, he supervised 600 employees at JC Higgins in New Orleans, building aircraft wings.

He spent the majority of his work life as a dental representative where, at age 57, he ultimately met and married Mary Alice Garinger on January 7, 1971. They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago.

His interest in fishing and boating took him from the Dry Tortugas to the Bahamian Grand Banks.

At age 69, he bought a sail boat in the Virgin Islands, studied and passed the test for his captains license, learned to sail, then chartered his sail boat for a company in St. Thomas—he and Mary lived and sailed from St. Thomas to Trinidad for five years.

He was introduced to Jesus during this time, and began a prison ministry in the islands. When they left the islands and came back to the mainland, he bought an Airstream travel trailer and they journeyed across the United States for nine months, stopping to visit the many historical sites along the way.

They moved to St. Augustine, Florida in 1993 after hurricane Andrew devastated their home in Homestead, Florida.

While living in St. Augustine, he met and became the best friend of John Nuttall. John and his family introduced Bob and Mary to Parrottsville, Tennessee, where they moved to in November of 1997.

At the age of 83, Bob, along with the help of his wife, Mary, built their log cabin home where he was able to bush hog and cut wood for their fire place up until the age of 96.

He is survived by his wife: Mary A. Colvin; three daughters: Laura Martz and Alisa Stockburger of Lake City, Florida, and Shawn Haller of Parrottsville; two sons and a daughter-in-law: William and Ana Stockburger of Homestead, Florida, and James Colvin of Ocala, Florida; grandchildren: James Colvin, Robert Colvin II, Daniel Colvin, David Colvin, Michelle Burkholder, Daniel Martz, Phillip Martz, Monica Martz, Joseph LeBlanc, Eric Stockburger, Bryan Stockburger, Holly Haller Martinez, and John Haller; seventeen great grandchildren; eleven great-great grandchildren; and sisters: Kathryn Emma Colvin Klint and Phyllis Colvin Severson of Rockford, Illinois.

He was the son of the late Philip Edward and Elsie Mae Mumma Colvin and was preceded in death by three brothers and four sisters.

The family will receive friends at Kiser-Rose Hill Funeral Home from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, January 19, 2011, preceding the funeral service at 6:00 p.m. in Kiser-Rose Hill Chapel. Pastor Liviu Tudoroiu will officiate. Eulogists will be John Nuttall, William Stockburger, and Sherri Klint.

Interment will follow at 11:00 a.m. Thursday at GreeneLawn Memory Gardens. It is requested that family and friends meet at the funeral home at 10:15 a.m. Thursday to go in procession to the cemetery for the committal service.

Pallbearers will be Jeff Grimaldi, John Nuttall, John Haller, David Colvin, Eric Stockburger and Robert Colvin II.

Honorary pallbearers will be Daniel Colvin and James Colvin, Jr.