Bobby Dale Webb

Bobby Dale Webb, 68, passed away at 4:00 AM, Sunday, April 23, 2006 at home surrounded by his family.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM, Tuesday, April 25, 2006 at the Community of Christ Church in Tunnel Hill with Pastor Glenn Webb officiating. Visitation will be after 5:00 PM, Monday, April 24, 2006 at the Blue Funeral Home in Goreville and from 10:00 to 11:00 AM, Tuesday morning at the church. Burial will be at Webb Cemetery, Tunnel Hill. Memorials may be made to Hospice of Southern Illinois or the Bob Webb Memorial Scholarship Fund; envelopes are available at the funeral home or may be sent c/o Blue Funeral Home, PO Box 411, Marion, IL 62959.

Bob was born on December 14, 1937, in “Webbtown”, one of nine children of Ray and Golda (Hankla) Webb. He married Edna Ann (Mighell) on July 27, 1957 in Buncombe.

He is survived by his wife Edna Ann of rural Goreville, and three children, daughters and sons-in-law, Tammy and Harry Rowe and Cindy and Gary Parmley all of Goreville; son, Steve and Angie Webb of Tunnel Hill; grandchildren Brittney and Matt Lipe of Tunnel Hill; Lindsay and Andrew Rowe of Goreville; Chris, Kenton, and Caitlyn Parmley of Goreville; and Nathan, Alison, Braden, and Kanon Webb of Tunnel Hill; great-grandchild, Mason Lipe of Tunnel Hill; brothers and sisters-in-law, Glenn and Phyllis Webb, Kenneth and Edith Webb, and Phil and Cara Webb all of Tunnel Hill; sisters and brothers-in-law, Elaine and Reggie Romine of Danville, Norma and David Martin of Vienna, Jean Phillips of Raleigh, North Carolina and Charlene and Dale Hodge of Goreville; brother-in Law, Harley Throgmorton of Sparta; and twenty-four nieces and nephews and countless children of the Goreville community in which he gave virtually his entire life to teaching and coaching.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister Myra Throgmorton.

Bob was a retired teacher, coach, Athletic Director and Principal of Goreville Community Unit School District #1 in Goreville, an established carpenter and cabinet maker, and talented musician. He was a member of Community of Christ Church in Tunnel Hill. He was an athlete in Goreville and used his love and knowledge of sports to become one of the most successful and beloved basketball, baseball and softball coaches in Southern Illinois. He graduated from Goreville High School in 1955 and from Southern Illinois University in 1959 with a Bachelors Degree in Education. He then returned to school and received his Masters Degree in Educational Administration in 1986.

Bob was an extremely dedicated father and husband. His favorite past-time was spending time with his family and friends in fellowship whether at breakfast at the local diner or at a ballgame. He could always be found at the gym or ballfields watching his children and grandchildren play the games that he taught so well. He was extremely proud of their accomplishments and supported them completely.

He loved and cherished his days of being the lead singer and founding member of The Country Boys and Country Boys Plus 1 (the “1” being his daughter Cindy), a local country-western band whose highlights included opening locally for greats Barbara Mandrell and Jim Ed Brown and playing the Ruritan Fall Festival for many years.

He was an avid hunter and fisherman who lived for the days when quail was abundant enough that he and his brother-in-law David Martin could take their dogs for a good day’s hunt. He was also an accomplished carpenter. He spent several of his summers and weekends building houses and cabinets for the surrounding community. He never advertised his cabinet business because he believed that people seeing his work in the many houses of the area would be advertisement enough. He was right as he was always busy and there were always people on the waiting list.

His biggest accomplishment and everlasting gift was that he lived his life giving to the children and their families of the Goreville, Tunnel Hill, Buncombe and Lake of Egypt communities as a teacher, coach, administrator and friend. He began his career as a teacher, principal, and basketball coach at Buncombe Grade School in 1960. In 1962, he accepted a position with Goreville Grade School as a teacher and Boys Basketball Coach. Throughout his 33 years at Goreville Schools, he also taught 3rd-8th grade, high school algebra and high school construction trades. As a coach, Mr. Webb started the first Goreville girls basketball program in 1974. Over a short time, he became one of the most successful coaches in Goreville history winning over 300 games in both girls and boys basketball combined including winning Goreville's first ever high school Regional Tournament in Girls Basketball in 1978 and winning the South Egyptian Conference Tournament and regular season championships in girls basketball three years in a row losing only one conference game during the duration. Mr. Webb was also Athletic Director from 1980-1985. While Athletic Director, Mr. Webb was instrumental in establishing the winning tradition that Goreville Schools enjoy today. Mr. Webb also volunteered his time as a high school board member when Goreville was comprised of two separate districts. During his term on the Board, Mr. Webb brought his education background and his love of children to help the districts flourish and combine into a single Unit District. Then in 1988, Mr. Webb became the first Principal of both the grade school and high school simultaneously. While, Principal, Mr. Webb provided a nurturing but firm and stable presence to the school district he had worked for decades to form.

The number of people that have been touched by the love of Mr. Webb is infinite as his presence will always be reflected in the halls, gyms and playing fields of Goreville by his former students and players as they live their life passing on the values and sportsmanship to their own families and friends just as Mr. Webb so willingly gave to them.

A former student of his wrote “I want to tell you that you were always my favorite teacher. I don’t think you realized how you touched me as a child. I had just moved to Goreville and was scared and the new kid and you were so kind to me. I really needed that so much. I always wanted to be a teacher after that, so I could hopefully make a difference in a child’s life, like you did mine. Thank you for being an awesome teacher and very special person in my life.”

The pain of losing Coach Webb, Mr. Webb, Bob, Dad, Grandpa or whatever he might be called is immeasurable. But, we may thank God every day that He allowed this man to be with us and teach us that life is only as good as you make it and we must make the most of it each and every day. Donations can be made to Hospice of Southern Illinois and the Bob Webb Memorial Scholarship Fund.