Henry Stewart Cobb Jr.

Henry Stewart Cobb, Jr. was born in Mobile, Alabama on July 8, 1930. He graduated from Murphy HS in 1947 and from Marion Institute in 1949. After his Army service in occupied Germany, Hank returned to Alabama in 1956 and began a career as a government contracting officer at Brookley Field in Mobile. He met his future wife, Mary Jane Fuller, at Brookley, and they bonded over a shared love of sailing. They married in May 1962 and moved to Houston, Texas, where he worked closely with the first seven astronauts at the new NASA. In 1966, he transferred to Naval Air Systems Command near the Pentagon and moved his family to Maryland. He spent the rest of his career at NAVAIR, purchasing advanced aircraft and missiles for the Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard. Among these were the Marine One helicopters, the Harrier jump jet, and the Tomahawk cruise missile. Hank earned the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award, a rare honor, for his contributions to the Joint Cruise Missile Program.

Hank earned his Eagle Scout award in 1945. As an adult, he led a Sea Scout ship, a Cub Scout pack, a Boy Scout troop, and advised a regional Council. The Boy Scouts awarded him the Silver Beaver in 1989 for his lifetime of service. Hank also volunteered as a coach for the Naval Academy sailing program and sailed the Newport to Bermuda race many times with midshipmen on their summer cruises. After retiring, he returned to Mobile, where he helped revitalize his childhood church, which became the cathedral of the local diocese. He was an active member of the Rotary Club and various Mardi Gras societies. He passed away on April 17, 2023 after a long illness.

Hank was preceded in death by his parents, Henry Stewart Cobb (Sr.) and Susan Tucker Cobb; paternal grandparents, Frederick Henry Cobb, Jr. and Elizabeth Kirkbride Stewart Cobb; maternal grandparents Joseph Louis Tucker and Susan Croom Waller Tucker; sister, Susan Elizabeth Cobb Harding; wife, Mary Jane Fuller Cobb; and one son, William Tucker Cobb. He is survived by two sons, Henry Stewart Cobb III and Joseph Mitchell Cobb, and one grandson, Jacob Harold Cobb.

The funeral service will be held at Christ Church Cathedral in Mobile on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. A reception to celebrate his life will be held at the Mobile Yacht Club. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the USO or to the church or charity of your choice.