Memorial service: 4 p.m. Friday in Brown, Owens & Brumley's Joe B. Brown Memorial Chapel. Additional memorial service: 4 p.m. Saturday in the Pollie Fobbs Memorial Friendship Victory Garden, at the northwest corner of Verbena and Troost streets. Burial: private.

Joe Fobbs was born March 11, 1944, in Fort Worth to Helaine and Joe Fobbs Sr. Joe attended James E. Guinn Elementary School in Fort Worth. At age 12, Joe moved to Illinois where he attended Urbana Middle School, then Urbana High, both in Champaign, Ill. He completed his education at the University of Illinois. In 1963, Joe was blessed with a daughter, Kira, from his first wife, Andreen. Joe was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 30 years, Pollie Fobbs, in 1998. Joe worked for General Electric for a number of years and then began a teaching career. Joe substituted many years and had been a major part of a new Fort Worth I.S.D. program (permanent substitutes) at Trimble Tech for three years. Being consummate musician, photographer, jewelry designer and avid gunman were only a few of Joe's passions. He worked as vice president of the Near Southwest Neighborhood Association, Fairmount's the Southside Preservation Hall, the Near Southeast CDC, the Democratic Party and James E. Guinn Alumni Association. An avid gunman and member of the National Rifle Association and a ham radio operation (N5HOJ), he was president of the Kilocycle Club and Amateur Radio National Association.

Joe Fobbs spent most of his time helping, loving and assisting his friends and neighbors. More than anything, he was a truce dear friend to all he know.

Survivors: Father, Joe L. Fobbs Sr. of Washington, D.C.; mother, Helaine L. Moody-Eubanks of Urbana, Ill.; daughter, Kira A. Fobbs of Madison, Wis.; brother, Steven Fobbs of Washington, D.C.; sister, Donna Fobbs of Atlanta, Ga.; uncle, William H. Berliner of Mesa, Ariz.; and fiancee, Sadie Allen of Fort Worth.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Star-Telegram on Sep. 19, 2002.

Memories and Condolences
for Joe Fobbs

Sponsored by Sadie E Allen www.matthews-shaw.org.

38 Entries

Sadie Allen

September 14, 2021

Sadie Allen

September 14, 2021

Sadie Allen

September 14, 2021

My Black Knight in Rusty Armor...

It has been a while since I´ve posted here, but there are a couple of things that I´ve learned about love & grief.
1) they never go away
And...
2) they mutate over time

I still love you.
I still grieve your passing.

Tomorrow will mark 19 years since you passed, my Constant Heart. WoW...it doesn´t seem that long but it´s accurate.
I try not to remember your "death day"...just your birthday.
What brought your passing back so vividly this year was all of the programming on TV about the 20 years since the 911 disasters.
I remember vividly how you and I sat and watched the 1 year commemoration of that event. You were not the cussing type of man... you left that part to me...
However, on 9/11/2002 you cussed a blue streak and so did I...
We mourned the loss of American Innocence not knowing that you would leave this earth 4 days later.

Although I´ve not posted here, you know that my love for my Constant Heart is not absent, it´s still as strong as it was then.
I still miss you as much as I did then, it´s all just more nonverbal. You took the core of my heart with you. There has been no one else since you because who could stand up to your example of the consummate Renaissance Man?
You were...
1 An avid rifleman
2 A vocal member of the NRA
3 A jewelry maker
4 An accomplished opera baritone
5 An accomplished bassist & actor
6 A teacher & Southside activist
7 President of a Tarrant County HAM radio club
8 A faithful & active alumni member of your "Fighting Illini" club
9 A loving and doting son to your mother Helene, who passed away 4 months after you.
...and many many more things that could be added to this list.
What one man could measure up to that?

My Black Knight in Rusty Armor....

Lovingly,
Your Spice of Life

Sadie Allen

March 11, 2016

Happy 73rd Birthday to my Black Knight in Rusty Armor.
I remember your birthday rather than your deathday because it brings memories of how we were before you had to go.
I don't dwell in the past too much because I look ahead to my future.
You are, and forever will be, my Constsnt Heart.

Your Spice of Life

Sadie Allen

March 11, 2016

Sadie Allen

March 11, 2016

Sadie Allen

March 11, 2016

Happy 73rd Birthday, my Constant Heart. Today is the day that I attach to your memory. I don't dwell too much on your deathday because your birthday carries happier memories.
Yes, I still think of you.
No, no one can replace you.
Yes, you're still my Black Knight in Rusty Armor.

Rest Easy, my love

September 12, 2014

To: My Black Knight in Rusty Armor
From: Your Spice of Life

I can hardly believe that I am approaching 12 years since your passing. I still have your ashes, but I will plant them here in the spring with a rose bush as I've been meaning to do for years. I don't have to tell you how I've been because you know. I don't have to tell you how much I still miss you because you know that too. I'm alright, Sweetheart. I know that you are too.

Rest in Peace and Love, my Constant Heart.

March 11, 2013

They tell me that as long as someone is remembered by his loved ones that a person is never really dead.
My love, even though you passed away in 2002, your presence is still felt by those of us that you left behind. I think of you every time I see the roses you planted.

Happy 70th Birthday to My Black Knight in Rusty Armor.

With all my love...

April 17, 2012

Aloha:

Joe LLoyd Fobbs Jr was my fathers' sister son therefore my cousin. I just now became aware of his passing.

What I remember you to be was nothing short of a gentle giant. Standing as tall as my father William H Berliner. In fact I remember them once joking about how Joe would soon out grow my father's height of 6'3. This gentle giant had a celestral voice. Having sung opera and acted. Aunt Helene was very proud of him. I remember him protecting me from Bruinhilda the dog.

Mahalo for the pleasure to have known you.

Paula Marie Berliner

Sadie Allen

March 11, 2012

Happy 69th Birthday, my Black Knight in Rusty Armor...my Constant Heart.

Sadie Allen

December 24, 2011

All is well, Dear. RiP!

March 11, 2011

Happy 68th Birthday, My Black Knight in Rusty Armor. Rest in peace my Constant Heart.

March 11, 2010

Happy 67th Birthday, My Black Knight. Rest in Peace, my Darling Joe.

Sadie Allen

March 11, 2009

Happy 66th Birthday, My Black Knight in Rusty Armor. Rest well, my Constant Heart.

Sadie Allen

March 11, 2007

Happy 64th birthday, my Constant Heart. I love you still.

Spice

Sadie Allen

October 5, 2006

My Darling Black Knight in Rusty Armor,

I miss you still. I love you still. Oh, the things that we could be doing now.

Some of the things that we had planned, I'm doing now. I had the storage building built in the back. A relative of mine did it for me. I'm reducing the clutter in the house making room, but sadly, it is not in anticipation of you closing down your house. I just needed to clear out some old things and the garage.

Your beautiful roses are all multi-colored shades of the original pinks and reds that you planted. Some of them have changed and now there are a few yellows with Pink trim around the edges. I guess our bees have been visiting other rose bushes in the area. They used to be different shades of red and pink, but the yellow here and there just make them more beautiful.

I think of you constantly. Several visitors have looked at your photo in the living room and remember you from substituting at other schools around Fort Worth. Everytime they do, I feel so very proud. You impacted so many lives that even you didn't know about.

I adore you.

Your Spice of Life

Sadie Allen

January 8, 2006

My dearest Black Knight in Rusty Armor:

It's amazing but I have made it through the 3rd Christmas and New Year's festivities without you to share them with me. I even put up a Christmas tree this time...the first one since your departure. As you know, through all the medical problems that I've endured in 2005, I still miss and think of you daily.

The hurt and desolation that I felt at your passing has been replaced with sweet memories. I don't cry anymore as I look at pictures of us enjoying life. I have found myself remembering the good times we had instead. I laugh at some of the photos of us, remembering what came before and after each pose for the camera.

I know that there is a life out here for me, that is a lesson that you gave me also. You survived after Polly and found me. You have given me that courage to survive also. That survival instinct has always been with me, but you reminded me of it. It was what drew you to me in the beginning.

Thank you for giving me love. I will always love you and will communicate with you again and it won't take a year to do it. lol

The Spice in your life,

Sadie Allen

December 19, 2004

My Dearest Black Knight,

I can hardly believe that I am approaching my second Christmas without "my Joe". I still miss you terribly. My heart still, and always will, ache for the things that could have been...might have been...would have been. I hope and pray that you have found peace and tranquility with your Creator.

I love you Black Knight in Rusty Armor!

The Spice in your Life

Sadie Allen

March 11, 2004

My dearest darling,

Happy 61st birthday exactly 2 weeks before mine. I remember how we used to laugh about that.

I still miss you like crazy, but I have all of our special memories, pictures and artifacts to keep me. They don't make me cry like they used to...they make me smile.

They remind me that I was loved by a Black Knight in Rusty Armor!

I love you,

Your Spice

sadie allen

September 15, 2003

My Dearest Black Knight in Rusty Armor :)

I can hardly believe that it's been an entire year since you passed. Time has passed so swiftly. Our anniversary is coming up Sunday, 09/21. I can hardly believe it, but it has come upon me so quickly.

I still think about you daily. I miss my Black Knight terribly. I love you constantly. You came into my life when I needed you...first as a friend, then as something much much more. You came to teach me what true love really felt like. I came into your life when you needed me...to remind you that love still existed in this world...that it didn't die when you thought it did. We filled the spaces in each other's life that needed filling.

Love never dies. You're teaching me that every day.

I just can't believe it's been a whole year...

Still the spice in your life,

Sadie

Sadie Allen

June 17, 2003

My Black Knight:

Summer is here and I've finally gotten a chance to sit and contemplate the last 9 months.

As everyone said, life goes on.

So many things have happened since your passing, yet one thing remains constant. I miss you terribly. I breathe, love, laugh, sing, read, teach, talk, socialize, live...but you're not here and it all is so different. I guess the older we get, the more resistant to change we become. In life, change is inevitable. I don't have to like it...I just have to adapt. I'm adapting.

You're a beautiful memory and constant presence in my life and in the lives of your true friends. Although I don't see them or hear from them anymore, they still miss you, I'm sure. I heard from your Uncle Bill. He's doing fine. He's just a little rushed taking care of family business.

In just 2 years comes our "R" date. I received my 20 year pin this year from Trimble Tech and was surprisingly moved. I am truly a survivor and I can survive all things. That's one of the things that you like about me...my toughness.

Loving you as ever,

Spice

Sadie Allen

May 21, 2003

My Black Knight,

I'm still missing you like crazy. "They" say that it will get better, but I don't know about that. It hasn't gotten less painful, it's just settled into a dull ache...a hole where you used to be.

Allen Baker is up there with you now. You will remember him from subbing in a couple of his classes. Take care of him.

Still your Spice,

Sadie

Sadie Allen

March 11, 2003

Happy Birthday, My Black Knight!

Today you would have been 60. Yes I know...YKW got all of the important dates and education information wrong for your obituary and I didn't pay close enough attention at the time to correct things. For the record: 03/11/1943 - 09/15/2002...and it was Champaign High School...NOT Urbana High School. some who know better have asked about the discrepancy.

I guess that I have been in a sort of vacuum since your death. It's been almost 6 months since you passed, but you really haven't left me. I have reminders of you all around me, so in a way I still have you here. You make yourself known in so many ways. You cross my mind and I look up and see a picture or something of yours around the house.

Don't get me wrong, Dear. I still miss you as much, maybe more, as I did when you first passed. It's just a dull ache now rather than the devastation that I felt at the beginning. I wasn't prepared for the pain and had never experienced anything like it.

Spring is almost upon us and I look at your rose bushes outside the window. They never lost their leaves this winter. Even during the ice and snow...No flowers, but still green leaves. Thank you for planting those...you knew.

I love you as ever,

Spice

Sadie Allen

January 5, 2003

My Dearest Black Knight,

I am missing you as ever. The holidays were especially hard.

Helaine wanted me to visit at Christmas but I couldn't so I promised next Summer. She was content with that since I promised to bring and read lots of Readers' Digest jokes. We both experienced our first Christmas without you.

She is now with you. Take care of her and give her lots of "special hugs". She always liked those from you.

I love you both,

Your other half

Kendrick Spencer

December 3, 2002

Ms. Allen, continue to trust in God, knowing that He is the only one who can see you through this. I have never been placed in the situation that you are in, but I have heard that God is able to help us through all that we go through. It is understandable that this may take time; take each day by day. Don't rush things, and keep God first.

~You're in my prayers!

Sadie Allen

November 21, 2002

Dearest Darling Joe,

No, it hasn't been easy, these last 2 months and 6 days. Yes, I still dream of you. I awake and can't remember the dream, but I have a lightness that I feel that lets me know that it was you here.

I just take things one day at a time. There are scads of things that I come across each day that remind me of you. I still speak of you as if you're still here somewhere in the present tense.

No one seems to understand that this is going to take time. I can't talk about you like I want to except with a few (actually 2) of our friends. Everyone expects me to "bounce back", but I don't think that I will ever be as I was...I can be better, though. After all, I have been the Novia of the most wonderful man in Texas. It's kind of hard to let that go when you've had the best.

I love you...still

Your Spice

Sadie Allen

October 28, 2002

Sweetheart, I had a wonderful surprise Friday when I got home. The roses that you planted outside our media room have started blooming again. There were five pink roses with more buds about to bloom. I thought the roses wouldn't bloom again until spring. Thank you so much my Darling Joe.

Spice

Ollie Epps

October 10, 2002

Mr. Fobbs was a very nice man. He was a faithful substitute teacher at O.D.Wyatt High School. Whenever I would call on him to help out, he did not mind. He will be deeply missed in the educational field.

Sadie Allen

October 3, 2002

Darling Joe,

I'm trying, but I haven't quite let you go yet. This is my therapy, I guess. Because of the suddenness of your departure, I never got a chance to say goodbye.

There are so many things that I could tell you, but you know already how much I miss you. Each day at school is just one more reminder of your absence. Two weeks have gone by now and I'm waiting for it to get better as everyone says it will.

Day to day...One at a time...I'm taking the days as they come.

Your Spice

September 23, 2002

I'm the daughter of the Sr., Joe L. Fobbs. I met my "half" brother, Joe Jr. once when I was ten or eleven. He came to spend the summer with us and from the beginning, I thought he was "A-1" not "half"! A cool, big brother! He was God's gift to replace the curse God had left in the form of the younger, bothersome brother I already had. Joe was in college, and he DATED! And for that short span of six or eight weeks, I looked up to Joe, Jr., both physically and figuratively, as my one and only big brother! But Joe went back home to Illiniois after the summer was over, and that was the last time I looked into his eyes or heard his voice. Okay, maybe I spoke to him once or twice in forty years on the phone. To write that here and now, seems so sad. We were actually planning a second reunion later this very month of September.

But our plans are not always God's. I pray that God soon eases and lifts the pain in the grieving hearts of those who knew Joe and all his love and kindness. I wish I'd known him. And I pray God receives his spirit into his loving and forgiving arms,

in Jesus' name.

Donna Fobbs

Sister

Atlanta, GA

Kendrick Spencer

September 23, 2002

Mr. Fobbs, I have known you for almost 5 years. From the time you used to always sub for Mr. Smith at Dunbar 6th Grade Center.

I have nothing but good stories to remember you on.

Your presence at Trimble Tech and the other school's that we've both been at will never be fogotten.

Sadie Allen

September 20, 2002

Sweetheart, today is the day of your memorial service. I miss you so much...

This has been the hardest week that I have ever spent. When I write here, it sort of relieves the ache a bit...and then I think of things like Sunday 9/22...our Anniversary. We didn't quite make it this year, did we? I look at pictures from this summer and smile. I try to think of the good times that we had. I know that it will get better, but right now I guess I'm still in denial.

Keith Lee

September 19, 2002

Mr. Fobbs you will never be forgotten in our hearts. You was also a good teacher at Trimble Tech and a good friend also.

R.I.P.

Mr. Fobbs

Terry Leggett

September 19, 2002

I am a fellow shooter at Haltom City Rifle and Pistol Club. My prays and Gods peace is with you and your family.

Sadie Allen

September 19, 2002

My Darling Joe, my heart is broken and the pieces are scattered. When I think of all the little clues that you gave me that I didn't pick up on, it fills me with regrets. I just wish that we hadn't wasted so much time planning and had started doing more. Oh, the plans we made...

I look at the words to the song that you wrote for me and I can feel your presence in unexpected ways. I can hear your voice singing me to sleep sometimes. I talk to you in my own way, but this is so hard. A poem that I picked up somewhere follows.

A million times I will miss you.

A million times I will cry.

If love alone would have saved you

You never would have died.

In life I loved you dearly.

In death I love you still.

You built a place in my heart

that no other one can ever fill.

The golden gates stood open.

God saw you needed rest.

God's garden must be beautiful

for he always picks the best.

Your Spice of Life,

Sadie