Robert Wayne "Bob" Coltrin, age 71, died in Kerrville, Texas on July 7, 2006 following a brief but courageous battle with cancer. Bob was born in Corpus Christi, Texas on February 11, 1935, the oldest child of Amos Graves Coltrin and Edith Louise Greek Coltrin. The Coltrin family moved to Sinton, Texas when Bob was just a toddler, and he attended Sinton schools, graduating from high school there in 1953. Bob enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in January 1954 and served through January 1957, stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. He graduated with honors from Panola Junior College in Carthage, Texas in 1960 with an associate degree in English. He completed his bachelor degree at Texas A&I University in Kingsville in 1962, with an English major and Journalism minor. He received a masters degree in English in 1965 also from Texas A&I, Kingsville. Bob took additional courses from the University of the Philippines, and he took German language classes from the University of Maryland. Bob began his teaching career at Mary Carroll High School in Corpus Christi in the fall of 1962, where he taught through the spring semester 1967. He was then employed by the US Department of Defense Dependent Schools, first assigned to Clark Air Force Base in Angeles City, Philippines from the fall of 1967 through the spring of 1969. Bob was then transferred to Frankfort, Germany, where he taught at Frankfort American High School from the fall of 1969 until his retirement in November 1992. While his primary field was English, which he taught for 30 years, Bob also taught journalism for four of those years. Following his retirement, Bob resided in his home town of Sinton until he moved to Kerrville in September 1994. Making and keeping friends was always easy for Bob, as he has friends scattered literally all over the world, thanks to his overseas teaching assignments. Traveling with friends was one of his favorite hobbies, as was gourmet cooking and entertaining. He participated in several "hands-on" cooking classes while in Europe, and his friends enjoyed numerous special meals and parties at his home throughout the years. He enjoyed keeping up with his friends through annual DoDDS reunions. Bob was preceded in death by his parents A.G. and Edith Coltrin. He is survived by his brother, Don (Evelyn) Coltrin, of Houston, and his sister, Janell (Don) Steele, of Kerrville. Additionally surviving him are two nieces, Grace Schmelzer of Belmont, MA and Kara Seboldt of Austin; three nephews, George Coltrin and John Coltrin, both of Houston, and Paul Coltrin of Tempe, AZ along with one aunt, many cousins and numerous long-time friends. To celebrate Bob's life, a graveside service will be held at Sinton Cemetery on Thursday, July, 13, 2006 at 11:00 AM. Honorary pallbearers will be a group of special friends from Texas A &I; John Ashe, Ron McCrory, Tom McLaughlin, Stanley McMillan, Bill Moreland, Jim "Corkey" Sinclair, and Gary Vick.In lieu of floral arrangements, the family requests that memorials in Bob's memory be made to the American Caner Society online at
www.cancer.org, by phone at 1-800-ACS-2345, or by mail to
American Cancer Society, PO Box 22718, Okalahoma City, OK 73123-1718 The family invites you leave a message or memory at
www.kerrvillefuneralhome.com by selecting Obituaries. Select "Sign Guestbook" at the bottom of the Individual Memorial. Arrangements are under the direction and personal care of Kerrville Funeral HomeKerrville Funeral Home1221 Junction HwyKerrville, Texas 78028830-895-5111
Published by Corpus-Christi Caller-Times on Jul. 12, 2006.