Bobby Gene White

Bobby Gene White, 88, of Cleveland, Tennessee, passed away on September 10, 2026.

To many people in Cleveland, he was Bob, a furniture salesman, a builder, an entrepreneur, and the man behind places where generations of families came to have fun. To those who loved him most, he was Papaw: the man in the stands at nearly every ball game, the man on the tractor who always had another project to finish, and the voice at the head of the table leading the family in prayer.

Bob grew up in Old Fort, Tennessee, and his rural childhood provided him with a lifetime of wild and entertaining stories. His family never knew exactly where one of those stories might lead, but they always knew it would be worth hearing. Those stories, told and retold through the years, were part of the fun of being around him and gave his children and grandchildren a glimpse of the life that shaped him.

He attended Tennessee Tech before transferring to Tennessee Wesleyan, where he met Fran, a basketball player from Strawberry Plains who would become his wife of 68 years, and "Mamaw" to the family they would build together.

Bob and Fran settled in Cleveland, where their early years included time spent laughing and telling stories with Bob's high school friends. Those friendships remained important to him throughout his life. From then, they grew a life neither of them could have fully imagined: three children, ten grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, a home filled with tradition and memories.

Bob began his working years as a deliveryman and later became the store manager at Sterchi's Furniture. In those days, it seemed as though he knew everyone in Cleveland, and everyone knew Bob. Even years later, mentioning his name often brought the response, "I know Bob. I bought a piece of furniture from him."

Bob and Fran raised their children, DeAnna, Chris, and Robin, at their home on Golf Drive, the home where Bob remained until his passing. That house became much more than the place where they lived. It was the center of the life Bob and Fran created including family celebrations, holiday meals, and grandchildren and great grandchildren running throughout.

Bob was a builder in every sense of the word. He could look at a piece of property and imagine what it might become and then climb onto a bulldozer and begin making it happen. In the 1970s, he built a waterslide that became a gathering place for the community. Over the years, he built waterslides, rope swings, cabins, camps, a mud run, and countless other things.

He did not build simply for the sake of building. He built places where people could laugh, play, gather, and make memories. His own family enjoyed those places, but so did countless others throughout the community. Many families experienced something fun and unforgettable because Bob first imagined it and then did the work to bring it to life.

One of Bob's greatest accomplishments was developing and operating Horns Creek Resort in Ocoee, Tennessee. A vision he brought to life alongside his son, Chris. The two spent years working shoulder to shoulder, building nearly every part of the resort and running the property together. His youngest daughter, Robin also played an important role at Horns Creek, managing its more than 30 horses. Bob treasured the time they spent together at the barn, where their shared love of the horses and working alongside one another created a deep and lasting bond.

Working was simply part of who Bob was. He was happiest when there was something to build, repair, move, or improve. He rarely sat still and was almost always headed somewhere to do something. He continued going to the camp and working until he was about 86 years old, riding his tractor and bulldozer and keeping an eye on whatever needed to be done. After a lifetime of jobs, one of his final titles may have been his funniest: head lifeguard at the waterpark.

Bob was deeply proud of his children. One of the great highlights of his life was watching Chris play football for the Tennessee Volunteers. Bob and Fran followed him wherever they could, traveling to games and even making the trip to Italy to watch him play.

With his oldest daughter, DeAnna, Bob shared a simple daily tradition that became one of their most meaningful. Nearly every morning, he went next door to her house for a cup of coffee. They talked about the family, what needed to be done that day, and what all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren were up to. Those mornings may have appeared ordinary, but they were anything but ordinary to the two of them.

With his youngest daughter, Robin, Bob shared a bond built on equal parts hard work, and adventure. Robin was his youngest, and toughest of the three. They spent countless hours together at the barn, taking on projects, and occasionally doing something wild or funny that would become another family story.

Robin passed away three years before Bob, on September 11. When Robin was faced with cancer, Bob knew he could not change what was happening, but he made certain she never faced it alone. His care for her during her illness was the final expression of a bond they had spent a lifetime building.

As his children grew and started families of their own, Bob received the name that would come to mean so much to so many: Papaw.

Being Papaw was one of the greatest joys of his life. His grandchildren and great grandchildren were not simply people he loved from a distance; he took an active interest in their lives. He wanted to know what they were doing, where they were going, and what time their next game started.

Papaw rarely missed a grandchild's or great-grandchild's ball game. He sat through basketball, football, volleyball, baseball, and soccer games, showing up season after season and year after year.

He was proud of every one of them and talked about them constantly. Their accomplishments became his stories to tell.

Papaw's love was practical and dependable. It looked like helping a grandchild buy a first car, giving honest life advice, lending a hand when one was needed, and simply showing up. He supported his grandchildren as they grew into adults, but no matter how old they became, they never stopped being his grandchildren, and he never stopped being interested in every part of their lives.

He was also blessed to become a great-grandfather to Lucas, Olivia, Jack, and Jessie. His family will always be grateful that they had the chance to know Papaw for themselves-to hear his sayings, experience his humor, and make their own memories with him. Watching him love another generation of the family was a gift none of them will take for granted.

Bob loved giving his family places to be together. The river houses, the camps, and everything else he created, those places reflected something important about him: he wanted his family close, and he wanted them to enjoy being together.

His faith was at the foundation of the life he lived. Bob attended St. Andrews United Methodist Church, where he sang in the choir, and Big Springs Methodist Church. At family gatherings, Papaw was the one who led the prayer. For his children, grand and great grandchildren, the sound of his voice giving thanks became as much a part of the holidays and family meals as the gathering itself.

Although Bob worked hard and loved deeply, he never took himself too seriously. If you called his phone, there was a good chance he'd answer with, "Joe's Donkey Barn." On birthdays, he might greet you with, "Happy, happy birthday, baby," and something especially surprising could bring out a "Holy mackerelamous!"

Then there was the phrase his family heard so often: "I love you just a little bit."

No one ever had to wonder what he meant. Coming from Papaw, "just a little bit" meant he loved you with his whole heart.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Kerm and Dorothy White; his brothers, Jack White and Bill "Bug" White; and his beloved daughter, Robin White.

He leaves behind his wife of 68 years, Fran White; his daughter, DeAnna (Clifford) Bynum; his son, Chris (Elena) White; his sister, Lisa (Fred) Harned; and his brother, Sam White.

He is also survived by his grandchildren, Brice and Laura Bynum, Laura Beth Bynum and Aaron Keck, Kason and Sydney Harmon, Bo and Annie Bynum, Allie and Ryan Carbullido, Alex and Izzy White, Lorenzo and Chandler White, Gracie and Preston Willson, Riley Harmon, and Isabella White; and his great-grandchildren, Lucas Bynum, Olivia Bynum, Jack Harmon, Jessie Harmon, and one on the way.

The family will receive friends from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. on September 19 at Companion Funeral Home, 2412 Georgetown Road NW, Cleveland, Tennessee 37311. A Celebration of Life Service will begin at 3:00 p.m., with Doyle McCracken officiating.

You are invited to share a personal memory of Bob or offer condolences to his family through his online memorial at [www.companionfunerals.com](http://www.companionfunerals.com).

There will be an empty seat in the stands now. Mornings next door will feel different without that cup of coffee. At the camp, there will be no replacing 88 years of knowledge, or having Dad there to tell you exactly how things ought to be done. Family gatherings will sound different without his voice leading the prayer, and no one will ever answer the telephone quite the same way.

But Papaw spent his life making sure his family had strong foundations, places to gather, stories to tell, and faith to carry forward. The greatest thing he ever built was not a waterslide, a cabin, a resort, or a river house. It was the life he and Mamaw created and the family that continues because of them.

Companion Funeral and Cremation Service, Cleveland Chapel, and the Cody family are honored to assist the White family with these arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donation be made to the American Cancer Society in Bob's honor.

We love you just a little bit, Papaw.