Bob is survived by two daughters, Mary Carefoot and husband David, of Orlando, Florida, Christina DowlingSoka and husband Joe-d of Chattanooga, Tennessee, four grandchildren: Rebecca Carefoot, Megan Carefoot (Jonathon Cox), Joel DowlingSoka, Ryan DowlingSoka (Samantha Lauson), the sisters of his dear late wife Grace: Ruth Clark and Marjorie Rickert, Several nieces and nephews, and countless friends and caregivers who are like family to him.
Bob was born in 1921, in Mansfield, Ohio, the last of 7 children born to John and Maria Soka, Austrian-Hungarian emigres. He grew up on a farm near Polk, Ohio, graduated from Ashland University after a 43 month interruption serving in the Infantry in WWII in both the European and Asian theaters.
He moved to Florida in 1949, where he worked as a night club entertainer in restaurants and hotels mostly on the East Coast of Florida. Bob was converted in Fort Lauderdale’s Park Temple United Methodist Church during The ministry of John H. Hanger in 1953 and began his ministerial studies at Garrett Biblical Institute in Evanston, Illinois the same year. There he met and married the love of his life, a furloughed missionary, Grace Herrmann Wilson from Dubuque, Iowa who had served 5 years in Hiroshima, Japan after the bomb.
Following graduation from seminary and ministry as a student pastor in Illinois, Bob served as a pastor for 30 years, serving nine different churches in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. He wanted everyone to know how much he loved the Lord Jesus Christ, his wife, his family and his friends. He reflected a deep faith in Christ; his favorite scriptures were 2 Corinthians 5:17 and Galatians 2:20. He was a full time pastor and musician and part time poet, card-creator, composer, painter and photographer. He exuded joy and compassion and was known for his tremendous piano playing, his heartfelt preaching, sensitive pastoral care, quick wit and marvelous sense of humor.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be sent to the music ministry of the church of your choice.
Memorial services will be held at 10 AM Saturday January 7th at First Unite Methodist Church Chapel in Lakeland FL. The family will receive friends following the service in the church parlor.
Arrangements are by the East Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory & Florist. 404 S. Moore Road.
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