Robert MacFarlane Pope Jr.

1948 - 2021

Robert MacFarlane Pope, Jr.
August 4, 1948 - November 29, 2021
Raleigh, North Carolina - Bob passed away on November 29 in Raleigh after battling a chronic lung disease. His family was with him as he peacefully left his exhausted body.
Born in Watsonville, California, Bob grew up mostly in Tampa and Roanoke. After graduating from William & Mary in 1971, he worked for Pricewaterhouse in Washington D.C. long enough to be eligible to sit for and pass the CPA exam. He then took off to travel Europe for a year.
Bob's career in commercial real estate and residential development began with Warren Properties in San Diego and grew with Linpro in Raleigh, Kenan Development in Chapel Hill, John Wieland Homes in Atlanta, Homes by Huff back in Raleigh and finally Centex Homes in Raleigh, where Bob was CFO of the Southeastern Region until his retirement in 2006.
Early retirement had been Bob's longtime goal. It allowed him to travel much of the world, from New Zealand to Norway to Costa Rica. It gave him many days to work on his golf game, which was good but never good enough to satisfy him. And it gave him more time with his son Ben, his greatest love and the source of his greatest joy, and for whom he was a wonderful dad. Ben's accomplishments made him the most proud of all; he would tell anyone who would stand still for a minute that Ben attended the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and works for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Bob is survived and forever loved by his son Ben Pope of Chicago, wife Scott Pope of Raleigh, sister Lorraine (Tom) Durr of Fayetteville, brother Jim (Beth) Pope of Garner, sister-in-law Vee Sutherland of Southern Pines, numerous nieces and nephews and many friends, fraternity brothers, former coworkers and golf buddies. Bob was predeceased by his parents Bob and Pat Pope of Greensboro and sister Tricia Pope of Winston-Salem.
If you would like to do something to honor Bob's life, look a little bit longer at the moon as it rises, pause as you watch the waves come in, cheer for yourself when you hit a good golf shot, and remember someone's birthday, because you know that Bob always remembered yours.
A celebration of Bob's life will be held at a later date.