Austin Sparks Bobo

Roebuck, SC– Austin S. Bobo, loved and cherished by family and friends, passed away Tuesday, November 25, 2014. Mr. Bobo was born February 4, 1925, in Spartanburg, SC, and was a native of Roebuck, SC, for his entire life. He was the son of the late Austin Sparks and Lillian Wolfe Bobo. Mr. Bobo was a graduate of Roebuck High School and Clemson College (University). He was a lifetime member of Bethlehem Baptist Church, in which he held various positions including Chairman of the Deacons, 40 years as Training Union Director, Sunday school teacher, Royal Ambassadors leader, and also served on the building and cemetery committees. Church softball was also one of his great loves. He served in the community for 33 years as the Assistant Chief of the Roebuck Fire Department of which he was a charter member. After retiring from the fire department, he served 13 years as a Fire Commissioner in Spartanburg County. Mr. Bobo was a charter member of the Roebuck Improvement Association where he held many offices and was named “Citizen of the Year” in 1999. He served as a member of the Spartanburg Peach Growers Association. For 62 years, he was a member of the Spartanburg Lions Club where he received a 1974-75 “Lion of the Year” and 1988-89 “International Melvin Jones Fellowship Award.” Mr. Bobo was a retired business owner and spent most of his life working at A. S. Bobo General Store which was started in 1905 by his father and grandfather. He also sold real estate and built homes in the Roebuck area. He is survived by his two sons, Austin S. Bobo, Jr. (Sheryl) of Anderson, SC, and Steven M. Bobo (Carol) of Roebuck, SC; one grandson, Christopher Joseph Bobo (Alyssa) of Spartanburg, SC; and a sister, Dorothy Bobo Zeigler (Ed) of North Augusta, SC. Mr. Bobo was predeceased by his loving wife of 64 years, Grace Rhodes Bobo; a beloved son, Joseph Daniel Bobo; and a sister, Margaret Bobo Peeples. The family will receive friends Friday, November 28th, 1:30-2:45PM at Bethlehem Baptist Church. Funeral services will follow the visitation at 3:00PM in the sanctuary, officiated by the Reverend Jim Oliver and the Reverend Joe Burnett. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Members of the Roebuck Fire Department and the Spartanburg Lions Club will serve as honorary pallbearers. The last years of Mr. Bobo’s life were enriched by the love and care of special caregivers, Dawn Bartlett, Lula Black, Pearlie Brinker, Connie Douglas, Pam Larsen, Areulior McClarkin, Shirleen Porter, Donna Steadman, and Kim Wyatt. In remembrance of Mr. Bobo, memorials may be made to Bethlehem Baptist Church Building Fund, P. O. Box 229, Roebuck, SC 29376 or Joseph Daniel Bobo Memorial Fund, The Spartanburg County Foundation, Contribution Lockbox, P. O. Box 60402, Charlotte, NC 28260-0402.