Robert W Leggett

Robert Warren “Bobby” Leggett, Sr., passed away on February 7, 2014. Bobby was born on December 5, 1937, in Hamilton, NC, to the late Hugh and Thelma Leggett. Following graduation from high school in 1955, he enlisted in the USAF where he became a radio operator on C-124 airplanes and traveled the world. For a small-town boy, it was a world he never imagined he would see. After his military career, he moved to Jacksonville and became an air traffic controller at the ARTC in Hilliard. When he retired from the FAA in 1989, Bobby had a vector named after him in honor of his long-time, outstanding service. He was a graduate of Jones College. Dad was an original, a character most people found unforgettable. He could fix just about anything with duct tape and foam, and never had an automobile that he didn’t work on patiently for hours and hours. He bought a small plot of land on Lake Como many years ago, to which his family has added other properties and made it the Leggett Lake Place. He loved history and always quizzed his grandchildren about world events. He also avidly watched sports, most especially his beloved Florida Gators. Along with his parents, Bobby is predeceased by his stepmother, Viola, his brother, Kenneth, and sister Emma. He will always be remembered by his three surviving sisters: Joan (Johnny), Shirley (Dick), and Sarah (Hal) numerous nieces and nephews, and many other relatives. He also leaves an immediate family that grieves his loss: his loving and lovely wife of 55 years, Arline, and their five children: Susan (Brian), Robert Jr. (Judy), Angela (Robert), Steven (Laura), and Richard. Bobby was a very proud grandpa when he talked about his grandchildren: Steven, Lauren, Ashton, Elizabeth, Caitlin, Jennifer, David, Kelsie, and Michael. Towards the end, the light of his day was his great-granddaughter, Constance. The family will receive friends 30 minutes prior to the celebratory memorial which will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at Assumption Catholic Church, 2403 Atlantic Blvd. Donations may be made to Assumption Church.