Robert Whitcomb

Robert Howard Whitcomb, also known to loved ones as Bud, Buddy, Bob his personal favorite "Uncle Bob", is celebrating passage from a beautiful life on earth to a more beautiful life with our Holy Father. Among those reuniting with Bob in joyous celebration are his closest loved ones: his father and mother Lloyd and Ursula Perry Whitcomb, his first wife Joyce Aud Whitcomb, and his sister Rose Whitcomb Blair. Honored to remain behind to share the Grace, Love and Wisdom Bob has gifted us with are his wife, Edna Whitcomb, brother Claude Aud, son Ronald Whitcomb, daughter Karen Whitcomb Hoffmann, and seven grandchildren: Racheal Whitcomb Hatfield, Joshua Whitcomb, Hannah Whitcomb, Timothy Whitcomb, Daniel Whitocmb, Haley Hoffmann, and Elijah Whitcomb. Bob has also been blessed with nine great-grandchildren: Cayden Whitcomb, Paul Hatfield IV, Samuel Meeller, Jane Whitcomb, Atarah Sheehan, Molly Whitcomb, Malaciah Hatfield, and Patrick Whitcomb.
Beginning his life in Kingsville, Texas, September 21, 1933, Bud grew up tending the family farm in Premont, Texas with his sister Rose who was only a few years older, and exploring the wild woods of West Texas with friends. The Whitcomb family moved to Alice Texas when he was ten, where his brother, Claude, was born. Though Buddy spent most of his childhood on with cattle and chickens, his parents also owned a restaurant and grocery store in West Texas. Bud's family later moved to a small town in the country near Pea Ridge, Arkansas and eventually settled in, and
the nearby town of Bentonville, where he played football and ran track before graduating from Bentonville High School.
Following high school at the start of the Korean War, Bob joined the U.S. Army, serving as a medic and ambulance driver in Germany and France. During his time overseas, Bob travelled much of Europe, including the United Kingdon, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belgium, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, and Switzerland. Following his time in service, Bob returned to earn his bachelor degree from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, where his brothers from Sigma Phi Epsilon nicknamed him Cupie Doll and entertained frat parties across campus as members of a hillbilly band, where Bob sang and played banjo.
After receiving his degree in accounting, Bob rejoined his family, who had moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma during his time in the army. In Tulsa, Bob joined the Pioneer Singles Sunday School class, where he met his gregarious first wife and jitter-bug dancing partner, Joyce. In time the Pioneer's class had to disband due to most of them marrying each other-they remained lifelong friends and continued to gather at each other's homes as family.
After marrying, Bob and Joyce moved for a short time to Queens, New York, but they settled in Irving, Texas, surrounded once again by his immediate family, who was now settled in and around the Dallas area. In Irving, Bob and Joyce expanded their family, adopting a son, Ron, in 1968 and daughter, Karen, in 1971. Bob worked as an auditor with the Department of Energy, Vaught Corporation, and LTV investigating oil refineries for embezzlement. Bob was a proud G-Man, nicknamed by his partners as Deputy Dog. He and Joyce built a home in nearby Flower Mound, Texas, where they raised their children. Bob spent many hours camping and leading his children on adventures with the Boy Scouts, Indian Guides, and Indian Princess until 1981, when he moved his family to Pensacola, Florida to join the civil service as a Navy accountant with Pensacola Naval Air Station.
After Joyce's early passing in 1990, Bob was blessed a second time to meet Edna, a vibrant and perfectly suited, new dance partner. They married in 1992 and began a new chapter in Bob's life in Gulf Breeze, Florida where Bob gained two step-daughters, Sue and Tina, and with them four new grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Bob's heart was full but always had room for more. He sang his praises at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church each week and performed with the Fiesta Barbershop Choir, Pensacola Bay Harmonizers, and sang lead in the barbershop quartet An Inside Straight. In his free time, Bob enjoyed mining for gems, making jewelry, or playing cards and domino games with friends. Bob and Edna were loyal fans of Pensacola's Ice Flyers hockey team, for whom he occasionally sang the National Anthem. Retiring after more than twenty-five years with the Navy, Bob kept working numbers for H&R Block until 2017. Bob spent his last months cared for by the angels of Navarre Gardens Assisted Living in Gulf Breeze, who doted on their beloved "Uncle Bob" until Wednesday, 3:30 in the afternoon, January 18, 2019.

Visitation

Visitation

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
4257 Gulf Breeze Parkway
Gulf Breeze, FL  32563
Saturday, January 19, 2019
10:00 AM

Service

Funeral Service

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
4257 Gulf Breeze Parkway
Gulf Breeze, FL  32563
Saturday, January 19, 2019
11:00 AM

Cemetery

Floral Haven Memorial Gardens
Broken Arrow, OK  74012