Robert "Bob" Newton Dobbins Jr.

Robert N. (Bob) Dobbins, Jr. passed away unexpectedly Tuesday, October 12, 2021. Bob was known all around his Matthews Glen retirement community for his friendly greetings and outgoing demeanor, especially during his daily walks around the campus.

Bob was a much-loved father to Rob, Kathy, and Jim; grandfather to Robbie, Tradd, Alexa, Chris, Bailey, Megan, Jamie, and Jenna; and great-grandfather to Caden, Carter, Collins, and Tradd Jr. But most of all, he was the beloved husband of nearly 69 years to Mimi.

Bob was born in Freehold, NJ on November 15, 1930, to Bob (Sr.) and Ruth Dobbins, joining his older sister Ruth. His father Bob Sr. had a passion for aviation that he pursued first as the owner of a flying service and, with the outbreak of World War II, as a naval aviator. It was in this setting as a “Navy brat” that Bob spent his formative years, including some idyllic times at a remote air station on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, where he and his father would hunt and fish, and even adopted a pair of black bear cubs as pets for a time. It was also in this setting that Bob inherited his dad’s love of aviation, and his career direction as a Navy officer, both of which he handed down to his own children and grandchildren.

Bob and Mimi met in Mountainside, NJ in 1950, and were married during the Christmas holidays of 1952 while Bob was on a brief leave from shipboard duties in the Navy. They made their first home, during his Navy service, in Long Beach, CA, where son Rob was born. Bob transitioned to civilian life in 1955 when he accepted a job as an engineer in the aircraft engines division of General Electric, and the family moved to Cincinnati, where son Ronnie, daughter Kathy, and son Jim joined the family. Bob spent his career at GE, moving just once – from Cincinnati to Erie, PA, where he was a manager in the marketing organization for transit trains. He retired from GE in 1995, and he and Mimi built a home on Lake Norman, in Sherrills Ford, NC. There, they spent their time traveling the world, enjoying lake life, teaching their grandchildren to water ski (and tube), and staying active in church and social organization activities.

Commitment to service was a theme that ran throughout Bob’s life, and retirement brought the opportunity to renew that commitment. He found a fulfilling outlet as an active volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, working on local projects in the Mooresville area, and on Jimmy Carter Work Projects all over the world. Those projects took him to South Africa, India, Thailand, Taiwan, and Brazil, as well as to domestic projects throughout the U.S., where Mimi joined in the missions as well.

Bob’s global travel wasn’t limited to Habitat service projects. He and Mimi loved to explore new places near and far. Their taste for adventure brought them to every continent, including Antarctica.

Bob is preceded in death by his parents, Bob Sr. and Ruth; his sister, Ruth; his son, Ronnie; and son-in-law, Rick Yeager. He is survived by his wife, Mimi; daughter, Kathy Yeager; sons, Rob and Jim and their wives Kristie and Tricia; grandchildren, Robbie, Tradd and Alexa Dobbins, Chris, Bailey and Megan Yeager, Jamie Skellie and Jenna Dobbins; great-grandchildren, Caden and Carter Yeager and Collins and Tradd Dobbins Jr.; granddaughters-in-law, Kristena Yeager and Cassandra Dobbins; and grandson-in-law, Jordan Skellie.

A memorial service and reception were held Saturday, October 16th, at Matthews Glen, in Matthews, NC.

Memorial Donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – Memphis, TN or Matthews Glen Samaritan Fund – 733 Pavilion View Drive, Matthews, NC 28105.