Obituary of Bobby Dean Dobbins

Bobby Dean Dobbins, 87, of Hillsborough, NC, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, September 22, 2024.  Bobby was born on August 3, 1937, in a small farmhouse in the Ozark Mountains in Allison, AR, to the late Albert and Lillian (Moffitt) Dobbins.  When he turned 18 years old, his older brother, Ray, took him to Louisville, KY and helped him get a job on the assembly line at the Ford Motor Co. Then Ray’s next step was to take Bobby to enroll at the University of Louisville.  These opportunities, along with meeting his future wife, Mary Lou, at church changed the trajectory of his life.  Upon graduating with a degree in Business, he began his career with the US Department of Labor, Wage & Hour Division as a Federal Investigator.  He completed his career of 31 years as the Assistant District Director in Cincinnati, OH.  His knowledge of the labor laws was sought after by many in the field.  

After retiring, Bobby remained active.  He enjoyed playing tennis, walking, woodworking, and gardening.  He and his wife, Mary Lou, traveled extensively and spent time with family, their grandchildren, and their many friends.  In 2008, they moved to Hillsborough, NC to be closer to their children.  Family was important to him, and he was a constant presence in his family’s lives, always offering support and encouragement or the tools and expertise to build or repair whatever needed to be done.  Bobby was a compassionate man who never met a stranger.  He served the Lord faithfully all his life.  He taught Sunday School, served as a deacon and volunteered whenever help was needed.  He was a member at the First Baptist Church in Hillsborough, NC.  

Bobby is survived by his wife of nearly 67 years, Mary Lou (Short) Dobbins, his daughter Deborah (Richard) Blaylock, his son, Robert (Lindsay) Dobbins, his grandchildren, Allison Blaylock, Jonathan (Marshall) Dobbins, Kaitlyn (Lance) Browning, Jared Blaylock and MaryBeth Dobbins, and his step grandchildren Anya Coursen, NadyezhdaCoursen, and Nikolai Coursen, and great-grandchild Whitley Dobbins. He is also survived by his brother Jack (Charmaine) Dobbins and numerous nieces and nephews.

Bobby was preceded in death by his brothers Alfred, J. Ray, Jacob, and a set of twin boys, and his sisters, Eva Lee Dobbins, Lois May Dobbins, Avanell Moody, JoAnn Lancaster, Ruby Jean Moody and his daughter-in-law Miriam Agee Dobbins.

Visitation will be held 11:00am to 1:00pm on Thursday, September 26, 2024, at Walker’s Funeral Home, 204 N. Churton Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278, followed by a funeral service at 1:00pm with Pastor Randy Carter officiating.  The burial will take place at Resthaven Memorial Park in Louisville, KY, on September 30, 2024, at 11:30am.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the American Heart Association or Samaritan’s Purse.