MOULTRIE, Ga. – It wasn’t long after Bobby Cobb’s death on Sunday that the Cobb Funeral Chapel’s online guestbook began filling with condolences from folks not only from his native Colquitt County, but also from around the state.

And the word that seemed to appear most in the expressions of sympathy for Cobb’s family was “kind.”

Bobby and wife Gayla opened Cobb Funeral Chapel in 1974 and he became well-known in the community for his compassionate service.

Folks remember Cobb for his professionalism, his uncanny ability to remember names, his quiet caring and yes, his kindness.

Because of the concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, a private family service will be held at Cobb Funeral Chapel on Wednesday, June 17. A celebration of his life will follow at a later date.

A former outstanding football and baseball player at Moultrie High School, Cobb remained actively involved in athletics in the county, supporting booster clubs and coaching and sponsoring youth sports teams. In 2004, he was inducted into the Colquitt County Sports Hall of Fame, an organization he helped start in 2000 and continued to support.

Bobby Lavelle Cobb was born June 5, 1946, in Colquitt County and attended Riverside Elementary School.

He played youth football and Little League baseball as a 10-year-old and counted Virgil Huff and Ed Perry among his baseball coaches.

As an eighth-grader, he played football for Bud Willis and Larry Hyde and in 1960 he played on the freshman team coached by Ed Reaves and Bill Christopher.

In the spring of his ninth-grade year, he became the starting catcher on the Moultrie High baseball team coached by Ace Little.

As a sophomore, he led Region 1-AAA in hitting and was the Packers starting catcher again as a junior. After undergoing knee surgery, he moved to first base as Moultrie shared the region championship in his senior year.

He was captain of the baseball team in both his junior and senior seasons.

Cobb also was a three-year letterman on the Packers football team, playing offensive tackle, nose guard and defensive tackle.

He joined Joe Linder and Bob Montgomery as Moultrie High’s tri-captains in 1963 when the Packers, under coach Knuck McCrary, won the South Georgia championship and advanced to the state championship game.

The Minnesota Twins had scouted Cobb before his knee injury ended their interest. He also had a chance to play football at the next level.

But Cobb had begun working at Henderson Funeral Home while in the 10^th grade and had already decided on his profession.

He attended the Kentucky College of Mortuary Science in Louisville, Ky., graduating with honors in 1967 as the president of his class.

After working seven years at Henderson Funeral Home, he and Gayla opened Cobb Funeral Chapel at 603 N. Main St. In 1979, they built their current facility on the Camilla Highway.

He continued as the owner of Cobb Funeral Chapel, Cobb Monument Company and Cobb-Suncrest Memorial Gardens until his death.

Cobb was involved in a number of civic and professional activities. He served as chairman of the Second District of the Georgia Funeral Directors and in 1996 was appointed by Gov. Zell Miller to the Georgia State Board of Funeral Directors, serving as its president for the 1998-1999 term. He also served as chairman of the Colquitt County Board of Health.

His interest in supporting athletics in Colquitt County continued over the years.

In 1975, he donated the black-and-gold Georgia granite board hog plaque that decorates the façade in front of the field house at Tom White Field and Mack Tharpe Stadium.

He was president of the Packer Booster Club in 1978-1979 and 1981-1982 and under his leadership the budget for the club, which supported all sports at the high school, increased from about $3,000 to $50,000.

He was an avid supporter of all Colquitt County sports, but continued to be an especially ardent Packer football fan.

In addition to Gayla, Cobb is survived by his daughter Ellen and her husband Jamie Robinson and their two children, Ethan and Emily.