Dr. Bob Blackburn

1932 - 2019

SHELBY- Dr. Robert Reid Blackburn, age 86, died Thursday, November 28, 2019 at Atrium Healthcare Cleveland. Born in Cleveland County on December 12, 1932, he was the son of the late Reid McSwain Blackburn and Kate Bridges Blackburn. A member of Boiling Springs Baptist Church, Dr. Blackburn is survived by his wife of 63 years, Rose Marie Creswell Blackburn; three daughters: Barbara Blackburn Hale and husband Pete, Becky Blackburn Williams, and Brenda Blackburn Morrison and husband Quinn; and two grandchildren: Matthew and Jenna Williams.
First and foremost, Bob was a loving husband and father who adored his wife Rose and his three beautiful girls. A true sports fan, Bob loved his Duke Blue Devils and enjoyed playing golf. Throughout his over forty years of vibrant membership at Boiling Springs Baptist Church, he modeled servant leadership in many aspects of church life, including his time as a deacon and as Sunday School Director..
A U.S. Army veteran, Dr. Blackburn, lead author of Advocacy from A to Z, has been a lifelong educator. After teaching in public schools and earning his doctorate, he became a professor at Louisiana College and Gardner-Webb University. During the early part of his career, he coached football, basketball, and baseball, then he spent years as a basketball referee. While at Gardner-Webb, he was the Chairman of the Health and Physical Education Department and taught thousands of children to swim at the GW pool. Before his retirement, he was active in the area of health education, particularly in the movement for Smoke Free Schools in North Carolina and drug abuse prevention. He received multiple awards over his career including the National Association of Local Boards of Health's?(NALBOH) Everett I. Hageman Award awarded to a board of health member who has demonstrated outstanding leadership on a local board of health and commitment to, and enthusiasm for, local public health, two Bronze Medallions from the American Health Association-NC for his work as an AHA volunteer, the Leadership Award from NC Tri-Agency Task Force for outstanding leadership in the "Smoke-Free Class of 2000", honor awards from state, district, and national AAHPERD (American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance) organizations and is a Fellow of the North American Society of HPERSD Professionals. In the spring of 2008, he was presented the Inaugural Dr. Robert Blackburn Advocacy Award by the NC- American Heart Association.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at 11:00 am at Boiling Springs Baptist Church with Rev. Keith McKinney officiating. Burial will follow at Cleveland Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 6:00 pm until 7:30 pm on Tuesday, December 3, 2019 at Cecil M. Burton Funeral Home & Crematory.
Memorials can be made to: Boiling Springs Baptist Church, 307 S. Main Street, Shelby, NC 28152; the North Carolina-American Heart Association 128 South Tryon St., Suite 1588 Charlotte, NC 28202; or the Bob Blackburn Scholarship at the Association of North Carolina Boards of Health, 4172 Mill Creek Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27106.
Cecil Burton Funeral Home and Crematory is serving the family. Online condolences can be made at www.cecilmburtonfuneralhome.com