Big Bobby

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Edwards Kings
Posts: 5879
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2004 6:00 pm
Location: Duluth, Georgia

Big Bobby

Post by Edwards Kings » Wed Mar 08, 2017 7:39 pm

On July 14, 1932, Robert Wayne Edwards was born, the eighth and final child born to a farm family in Clyo Georgia (though at time all the farm communities in northern Effingham County were considered to be Egypt Georgia). Two girls first, Grace and Ione (who married the McCall brothers, Charlie and Reggie). Then six boys, Watson, C.B., Warren (who succumbed to diphtheria before he turned two), Earl, Floyd and finally Robert, who would be known as Bobby. "Big Bobby" as he was a big boy. He graduated with six other guys from school in Clyo, enlisted in the Air Force with two of them (both who would remain friends for the rest of their lives) and took the train to Atlanta, New Orleans, and then Texas for basic training.

Big Bobby would be trained as a radar technician and serve in Western Germany during the Korean War. Big Bobby fought no battles until later when the bottle got the best of him. Eventually he would marry a woman with a small child and together they would have a child of their own. Big Bobby would become Robert Wayne Edwards, Sr. and Robert Wayne Edwards, Jr. makes an appearance. Despite his problems with alcohol, Big Bobby put a cork in it in the mid sixties and never had another drink.

Big Bobby (or "Ed" to some, or "Bobo", or "Uncle Robert" to others) let a pretty typical American life. Worked every day. Divorced twice. He knew a great deal about being a Dad to a son, farming, fishing, and hunting. Women...well maybe not so much.

One thing Big Bobby was known for in his sporting community as a fox hunter. I mean really known for it. In fact, in retirement, he judged the biggest fox hunting field trials. In retirement, he may do forty field trials a year. He had his own fox hunting preserve (the "Edwards Bay Fox Pen"). Even into his 80's, Big Bobby was out there, riding his four wheeler, doing the thing he loved. Independent. And everyone (even one of his ex-wives) loved to see him coming. He had a special name for everyone he liked. The more he liked you, the more he teased you, joked with you. He was the biggest man around, not for his size, which decreased over time, not for his vast fortune (non-existent for a retired TV Technician), not for his religious fervor (a quiet man in this regard who proselytized by example only), not for his political power (basically apolitical believe it or not, but conservative). He was a big man because he was a constant. Everyone knew him, everyone he mentored when they needed it, he was THE example.

After living his simple, independent life for as long as he could (up until January 13, 2017), Big Bobby could...well he just could no longer go. His kidney's failed while in extended care. At 2:32 p.m. last Friday, March 3rd, Big Bobby, or the husk that was left of my Dad, went to a family reunion with Grace, Ione, Watson, C.B., Warren, Earl, Floyd and a host of friends (including the two he went into the Air Force with) and family.

I was holding his hand....
Baseball is a slow, boring, complex, cerebral game that doesn't lend itself to histrionics. You 'take in' a baseball game, something odd to say about a football or basketball game, with the clock running and the bodies flying.
Charles Krauthammer

cfolson
Posts: 148
Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2004 6:00 pm

Re: Big Bobby

Post by cfolson » Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:49 pm

Well done remembrance. Seems like it's getting dusty in here.

DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Re: Big Bobby

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:54 pm

Condolences, Wayne.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

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