Robert "Bob" Wimberly

1937 - 2017

Robert "Bob" Wimberly

Fort Worth, TX

Robert "Bob" Maurice Wimberly, 80, of Ft. Worth, passed away on Friday, August 4, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Services: A celebration of life service will be held at 2:00PM, Thursday, August 10, 2017 at Wade Family Funeral Home, 4140 W Pioneer Pkwy, Arlington. Visitation with the family will begin at 1:00PM. Burial will follow at Moore Memorial Gardens in Arlington. Pallbearers are Eric Dodson, Don Hensley, Hunter King, Jason King, Nick Trumbo and Chance Wimberly. Honorary Pallbearers are Jerry Dodson, James Wimberly and Ron Wimberly.

Bob was born on July 18, 1937 in Haskell, Texas to H.N. "Jack" and Dorothy (Thompson) Wimberly. Bob grew up in Albany Texas, graduated from Albany High School in 1955 and moved to the Dallas area where he attended the University of North Texas.

While living in Dallas he began his career as a musician. Joining his lifelong friend, they began making personal appearances. Representatives from Columbia Records heard their duets and soon after, Bob and Jerry were hastened to their recording studios in Nashville. Renamed Rob and Roy, they immediately recorded 2 songs that charted on the Billboard Top 40. Rob and Roy separated when Jerry "Roy" Dodson was drafted to Korea. Shortly after, Bob moved to Abilene where he became a television personality in the late1960s with a show called "Abilene Bandstand" or "TV DJ." He continued his music career as a founding member of the band "The Topics" alongside the late Michael Henry Martin and Al Rodgers, both of Abilene. The band played venues locally and regionally and continued recording and performing until recent years.

Bob also owned Villa Motors in Abilene for more than 30 years before moving to Ft. Worth. He loved motorcycles, music and making people laugh until their sides hurt. He had a huge circle of friends whom he adored and was always smiling and cracking jokes. He had the ability to bring out the humor in any situation with his magnetic, larger than life personality while having a softer, gentle side shown in the lyrics to his original songs and poetry. Bob leaves a legacy of love, laughter, song writing and creativity that cannot be matched.

Survivors: He is survived by his wife Tricia, two daughters, Debi Hensley and her husband Don of Frisco, TX and Michelle King and her husband Jason of Frisco, TX; four grandchildren, Taylor Hensley Trumbo and husband Nick of West Hollywood, CA and Hunter, Chase, Ryder and Whitney King of Frisco, TX. He also leaves behind two brothers, Ron Wimberly (Janice) of Abilene, TX and James Wimberly (Vivian) of Breckenridge, TX along with several nieces and nephews he adored. He was preceded in death by his parents, H.N. "Jack" and Dorothy Thompson Wimberly of Albany, TX.