The 1954 yearbook of Emory and Henry College features several pictures of the college tumbling team. Bob Boy is in Ihe center of one of those pictures, diving blindfolded through a burning ring of fire. Acts such as this require a lot of determination, courage and action that characterized Bob's fifty-six years as a son. husband, father and United Methodist pastor. He approached each appointment with determination, courage and action; however, he did go to each church with his eyes open!
Bob was born March 25, 1933, in Bluff City, Tennessee. He received his "Local Preacher's License" May 23. 1952 and thirty years later, to the day, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree. In 1955 he married his high school sweetheart, Wilma, also of Bluff City. They went to live in Austel, Georgia where Bob worked in a church while attending seminary at Candler School of Theology. In all the places they have served Bob and Wilma have worked as a close team — at Chapel Hill-Welch, as Associate at Centenary Chattanooga, at Golda Memorial in Kingsport. at Bulls Gap-Pleasant Hill, at Macedonia in Knoxville, at Anderson Street in Bristol, at Harrogate Arthur-LMU Wesley Foundation, at St Luke's in Knoxville and at Appalachia-Andover. Along the way, they had two children. Although Bob found a lot of joy in his family and often spoke of each of them with admiration, his four grandsons were his pride. It almost seemed his life was made complete when he was able for the first time to see the youngest in March of this year.
Most of the people of Holston Conference will remember Bob for having been secretary of the conference for fifteen years, for remaining alert through all those sixteen sessions, for being in charge of the conference records, and for bearing heavy responsibilities for sixteen journals! He served ably under Bishop L. Scott Allen, Bishop H. Ellis Finger. Jr., and Bishop R. Kern Eutsler. We were all sad to see him "retire " from that position in 1988, Bob's ready laugh, cordial smile and cooperative nature will be missed at the annual conference and wherever pastors get together.
Bob preached last on September 25, 1988, but he never really gave up his work. Even in the last few weeks of his life, when he was not completely rational, he was still trying to finish a sermon or get a secretary's report ready. One day he asked if his NEW ENGLISH TESTAMENT was on his bed. When told it wasn't, he said, " 1 wish to my never; I can't keep up with anything at all. " Another time, he filled a legal pad page with illegible notes for a sermon or a report he was trying to finish. The determination, courage and action never left him.
Bob left us two final thoughts. One is from that NEW ENGLISH TESTAMENT for which he was looking. Well-marked is Acts 2:21-24, "And then, everyone who invokes the name of the Lord shall be saved But God raised (Jesus) to life again, setting him free from the pangs of death, because it could not be that death should keep him in its grip. " The other thought is a paragraph he had added to a printed prayer in all three of his preaching Bibles. " O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God of Amazing Grace, thou whose life is mercy and love, reach deep into my life with thy mercy and impress upon me that thou doest not want a performance in this ministry of Word, but thou desirest an activity of love which reaches out to those who have come seeking God. "
Bob's death occurred May 17, 1989, while he was serving as pastor of the Appalachia-Andover Charge in the Big Stone Gap District. The memorial service was conducted by Cabel Trent and T.O. Willis at the Appalachia United Methodist Church on May 20th, and a graveside service was held the same day in the Shelby Hills Cemetery in Bristol, Tennessee. I N MEMORIA M 247 Bob is survived by his wife, son, daughter, mother, Mrs. Pauline Ford Boy, and four grandsons. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Written By: Henry Holt, Jr. – Holston Conference Journal – 1989 – PP: 246-247 (edited)
Bob was born March 25, 1933, in Bluff City, Tennessee. He received his "Local Preacher's License" May 23. 1952 and thirty years later, to the day, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree. In 1955 he married his high school sweetheart, Wilma, also of Bluff City. They went to live in Austel, Georgia where Bob worked in a church while attending seminary at Candler School of Theology. In all the places they have served Bob and Wilma have worked as a close team — at Chapel Hill-Welch, as Associate at Centenary Chattanooga, at Golda Memorial in Kingsport. at Bulls Gap-Pleasant Hill, at Macedonia in Knoxville, at Anderson Street in Bristol, at Harrogate Arthur-LMU Wesley Foundation, at St Luke's in Knoxville and at Appalachia-Andover. Along the way, they had two children. Although Bob found a lot of joy in his family and often spoke of each of them with admiration, his four grandsons were his pride. It almost seemed his life was made complete when he was able for the first time to see the youngest in March of this year.
Most of the people of Holston Conference will remember Bob for having been secretary of the conference for fifteen years, for remaining alert through all those sixteen sessions, for being in charge of the conference records, and for bearing heavy responsibilities for sixteen journals! He served ably under Bishop L. Scott Allen, Bishop H. Ellis Finger. Jr., and Bishop R. Kern Eutsler. We were all sad to see him "retire " from that position in 1988, Bob's ready laugh, cordial smile and cooperative nature will be missed at the annual conference and wherever pastors get together.
Bob preached last on September 25, 1988, but he never really gave up his work. Even in the last few weeks of his life, when he was not completely rational, he was still trying to finish a sermon or get a secretary's report ready. One day he asked if his NEW ENGLISH TESTAMENT was on his bed. When told it wasn't, he said, " 1 wish to my never; I can't keep up with anything at all. " Another time, he filled a legal pad page with illegible notes for a sermon or a report he was trying to finish. The determination, courage and action never left him.
Bob left us two final thoughts. One is from that NEW ENGLISH TESTAMENT for which he was looking. Well-marked is Acts 2:21-24, "And then, everyone who invokes the name of the Lord shall be saved But God raised (Jesus) to life again, setting him free from the pangs of death, because it could not be that death should keep him in its grip. " The other thought is a paragraph he had added to a printed prayer in all three of his preaching Bibles. " O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God of Amazing Grace, thou whose life is mercy and love, reach deep into my life with thy mercy and impress upon me that thou doest not want a performance in this ministry of Word, but thou desirest an activity of love which reaches out to those who have come seeking God. "
Bob's death occurred May 17, 1989, while he was serving as pastor of the Appalachia-Andover Charge in the Big Stone Gap District. The memorial service was conducted by Cabel Trent and T.O. Willis at the Appalachia United Methodist Church on May 20th, and a graveside service was held the same day in the Shelby Hills Cemetery in Bristol, Tennessee. I N MEMORIA M 247 Bob is survived by his wife, son, daughter, mother, Mrs. Pauline Ford Boy, and four grandsons. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Written By: Henry Holt, Jr. – Holston Conference Journal – 1989 – PP: 246-247 (edited)
The 1954 yearbook of Emory and Henry College features several pictures of the college tumbling team. Bob Boy is in Ihe center of one of those pictures, diving blindfolded through a burning ring of fire. Acts such as this require a lot of determination, courage and action that characterized Bob's fifty-six years as a son. husband, father and United Methodist pastor. He approached each appointment with determination, courage and action; however, he did go to each church with his eyes open!
Bob was born March 25, 1933, in Bluff City, Tennessee. He received his "Local Preacher's License" May 23. 1952 and thirty years later, to the day, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree. In 1955 he married his high school sweetheart, Wilma, also of Bluff City. They went to live in Austel, Georgia where Bob worked in a church while attending seminary at Candler School of Theology. In all the places they have served Bob and Wilma have worked as a close team — at Chapel Hill-Welch, as Associate at Centenary Chattanooga, at Golda Memorial in Kingsport. at Bulls Gap-Pleasant Hill, at Macedonia in Knoxville, at Anderson Street in Bristol, at Harrogate Arthur-LMU Wesley Foundation, at St Luke's in Knoxville and at Appalachia-Andover. Along the way, they had two children. Although Bob found a lot of joy in his family and often spoke of each of them with admiration, his four grandsons were his pride. It almost seemed his life was made complete when he was able for the first time to see the youngest in March of this year.
Most of the people of Holston Conference will remember Bob for having been secretary of the conference for fifteen years, for remaining alert through all those sixteen sessions, for being in charge of the conference records, and for bearing heavy responsibilities for sixteen journals! He served ably under Bishop L. Scott Allen, Bishop H. Ellis Finger. Jr., and Bishop R. Kern Eutsler. We were all sad to see him "retire " from that position in 1988, Bob's ready laugh, cordial smile and cooperative nature will be missed at the annual conference and wherever pastors get together.
Bob preached last on September 25, 1988, but he never really gave up his work. Even in the last few weeks of his life, when he was not completely rational, he was still trying to finish a sermon or get a secretary's report ready. One day he asked if his NEW ENGLISH TESTAMENT was on his bed. When told it wasn't, he said, " 1 wish to my never; I can't keep up with anything at all. " Another time, he filled a legal pad page with illegible notes for a sermon or a report he was trying to finish. The determination, courage and action never left him.
Bob left us two final thoughts. One is from that NEW ENGLISH TESTAMENT for which he was looking. Well-marked is Acts 2:21-24, "And then, everyone who invokes the name of the Lord shall be saved But God raised (Jesus) to life again, setting him free from the pangs of death, because it could not be that death should keep him in its grip. " The other thought is a paragraph he had added to a printed prayer in all three of his preaching Bibles. " O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God of Amazing Grace, thou whose life is mercy and love, reach deep into my life with thy mercy and impress upon me that thou doest not want a performance in this ministry of Word, but thou desirest an activity of love which reaches out to those who have come seeking God. "
Bob's death occurred May 17, 1989, while he was serving as pastor of the Appalachia-Andover Charge in the Big Stone Gap District. The memorial service was conducted by Cabel Trent and T.O. Willis at the Appalachia United Methodist Church on May 20th, and a graveside service was held the same day in the Shelby Hills Cemetery in Bristol, Tennessee. I N MEMORIA M 247 Bob is survived by his wife, son, daughter, mother, Mrs. Pauline Ford Boy, and four grandsons. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Written By: Henry Holt, Jr. – Holston Conference Journal – 1989 – PP: 246-247 (edited)
Bob was born March 25, 1933, in Bluff City, Tennessee. He received his "Local Preacher's License" May 23. 1952 and thirty years later, to the day, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree. In 1955 he married his high school sweetheart, Wilma, also of Bluff City. They went to live in Austel, Georgia where Bob worked in a church while attending seminary at Candler School of Theology. In all the places they have served Bob and Wilma have worked as a close team — at Chapel Hill-Welch, as Associate at Centenary Chattanooga, at Golda Memorial in Kingsport. at Bulls Gap-Pleasant Hill, at Macedonia in Knoxville, at Anderson Street in Bristol, at Harrogate Arthur-LMU Wesley Foundation, at St Luke's in Knoxville and at Appalachia-Andover. Along the way, they had two children. Although Bob found a lot of joy in his family and often spoke of each of them with admiration, his four grandsons were his pride. It almost seemed his life was made complete when he was able for the first time to see the youngest in March of this year.
Most of the people of Holston Conference will remember Bob for having been secretary of the conference for fifteen years, for remaining alert through all those sixteen sessions, for being in charge of the conference records, and for bearing heavy responsibilities for sixteen journals! He served ably under Bishop L. Scott Allen, Bishop H. Ellis Finger. Jr., and Bishop R. Kern Eutsler. We were all sad to see him "retire " from that position in 1988, Bob's ready laugh, cordial smile and cooperative nature will be missed at the annual conference and wherever pastors get together.
Bob preached last on September 25, 1988, but he never really gave up his work. Even in the last few weeks of his life, when he was not completely rational, he was still trying to finish a sermon or get a secretary's report ready. One day he asked if his NEW ENGLISH TESTAMENT was on his bed. When told it wasn't, he said, " 1 wish to my never; I can't keep up with anything at all. " Another time, he filled a legal pad page with illegible notes for a sermon or a report he was trying to finish. The determination, courage and action never left him.
Bob left us two final thoughts. One is from that NEW ENGLISH TESTAMENT for which he was looking. Well-marked is Acts 2:21-24, "And then, everyone who invokes the name of the Lord shall be saved But God raised (Jesus) to life again, setting him free from the pangs of death, because it could not be that death should keep him in its grip. " The other thought is a paragraph he had added to a printed prayer in all three of his preaching Bibles. " O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God of Amazing Grace, thou whose life is mercy and love, reach deep into my life with thy mercy and impress upon me that thou doest not want a performance in this ministry of Word, but thou desirest an activity of love which reaches out to those who have come seeking God. "
Bob's death occurred May 17, 1989, while he was serving as pastor of the Appalachia-Andover Charge in the Big Stone Gap District. The memorial service was conducted by Cabel Trent and T.O. Willis at the Appalachia United Methodist Church on May 20th, and a graveside service was held the same day in the Shelby Hills Cemetery in Bristol, Tennessee. I N MEMORIA M 247 Bob is survived by his wife, son, daughter, mother, Mrs. Pauline Ford Boy, and four grandsons. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."
Written By: Henry Holt, Jr. – Holston Conference Journal – 1989 – PP: 246-247 (edited)
