Bobby G Mcmaster

The oldest of 13, Bobby was born in Arkansas during the Depression and lived a busy life full of hard work and caring for his family.

In 1950, Bobby joined the Air Force at age 19, just as the Korean War was heating up. He wasn’t sent to Korea, but as a member of civil engineering, he was in England during the Great Smog of 1952 and would tell about being sent to London but turning back because of the choking air and nonexistent visibility. In 1956, he and his young family were stationed at Eielson AFB near Fairbanks, Alaska. When off duty, he earned extra money tuning cars and working on the Alaska road system. When he finally left Alaska in 1958, he had no bills, a new car, and money in his pocket. He also did two tours in Vietnam. A Senior Master Sergeant in 1973, he retired and then went home and told his wife. In 2019, with the aid of his wife and one of his daughters, he published a book, Poor Man’s America, recounting both his childhood poverty and his rise to the middle class in the military.

While in the military, Bobby was in civil engineering, earning his promotions as a technical writer. After the military, he worked mostly as a self-employed contractor, instilling his children with a strong work ethic and a sense of hustle.

Although a spend thrift, as much of his generation was, Bobby never hesitated to help someone with a genuine need, whether it was money or time and labor. An avid story teller, he enjoyed meeting people and “swapping lies.” He had a knack for making every woman he met feel special, and even as age and illness slowed him down, he unabashedly flirted with his female caretakers, many of whom remained his friends even after care was ended.

Bobby is survived by three brothers, two sisters, two sons, two daughters, 12 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-granddaughter.

Visitation will be held Friday, November 12, 2021 at Hampton Vaughan Crestview Funeral Home from 4:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M. Funeral service will be held Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 3:00 P.M. at Hampton Vaughan Crestview Funeral Home Chapel.