Obituary of Bruce V Cobb

V. Bruce Cobb Bruce Cobb, 86, died March 7, 2016. He was born in McNary, Arizona November 28, 1929. While the biography that follows speaks of a rich life, it cannot capture the experience of being in the presence of his fierce wit and intellect. This remarkable man had a temperament that was always steady and so wise, even under the most trying circumstances. He loved an audience and commanded it with his booming voice and perfect delivery. His spontaneous humor was legendary; the great raconteur kept laughter in the air. The generosity he showed to his loved ones had no bounds. We hold him in our hearts. His work ethic began with washing dishes at the corner drugstore in Winslow when he was in second grade. By 6th grade he had a social security number for a pin-setting job at the bowling alley. In high school years there was construction work building bunkers at Seal Beach Navy Depot, a cannery job running huge machinery and pipe laying and concrete pouring for the City of Phoenix. He was a smoke chaser for the Forest Service on the Mogollon Rim and a crew member on perilous scaffolding for the Davis Dam construction. The young Bruce would run for miles in the country. In high school he played football offense and defense, track and basketball. While playing basketball for Phoenix College, he was asked to join the University of Arizona Wildcats. It was a crushing disappointment when he suffered a workplace injury to his back that kept that from materializing; he remained a Wildcat at heart. Light on his feet and with outstanding reflexes, tennis and racquetball became his midlife sports. In the U.S. Army, he attended leadership school, Officer Candidate School and went to Korea as a Second Lieutenant, and was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action. The one book he took with him to Korea, Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy, was the real beginning of his intellectual life. He was a passionate reader, from philosophy to science, literature, early American history and the Civil War. His professional life as a CPA and tax attorney for the firm Lawton, Ford, Cobb and Rogers was followed by many years as CFO for Ed Holderness Supplies, Inc., a local building materials and mining supplies wholesaler. After obtaining his law degree from the University of Arizona in 1958 while working full time, he completed the course requirements for a Ph.D. in philosophy simply for the love of it. In semi-retirement he joined his wife's enthusiasm for art and took design and abstract painting classes at The Drawing Studio, a Tucson arts organization. His small abstract paintings, made into custom holiday cards with personalized (and often hilarious) greetings in his beautiful script, are treasured by their recipients. He joined the Board of Directors of The Drawing Studio and was its President for three years. Bruce is survived by his wife Emilia Arana; children, Rodney Cobb (Lisa), Rebecca Sheldon (Randy), Heidi Martin (Rob), Jennifer McClure (Kyle), ten grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his first wife L. Marlene Cobb. Donations in his remembrance can be made to The Drawing Studio, 2760 N. Tucson Blvd., Tucson AZ 85716. A Memorial will be announced at a later date. Anyone who wishes to contribute their favorite Bruce story for the enjoyment of his family can do so online at www.legacy.com/obituaries/Tucson. Arrangements by ADAIR FUNERAL HOME, Dodge Chapel.