Dr. John William ”JW” Cobb, 93, died Sunday at the Carolina Care Center, Cherryville, NC
He was born December 6, 1916 in Sullivan Co., Tenn. the son of the late Reverend William Gurley and Lillian Akard Cobb.
He was educated in the public schools of Virginia and North Carolina and graduated from Cherryville High School in 1931. He received the A.B. from Lenoir Rhyne College, the B.D. from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, SC and in 1967 the Doctor of Divinity from Lenoir Rhyne University.
In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years Rachel Moser Cobb, his second wife of 11 years Suzanne Boling Cobb, sisters Mary Emma Mauney, Louise Beam West, brother Rev. James K. Cobb, and two late brother in laws Rev. Dexter Moser and Cline West.
He served the following Lutheran Churches: Trinity, Rocky Mount, NC; Luther Memorial Blacksburg, VA; Grace, Bethlehem, PA; and Holy Trinity, Raleigh, NC; during his 41 years of active ministry. He retired in 1980.
In retirement he served as director of North Carolina Lutheran Men in Mission for 16 years. Dr. Cobb was also instrumental in organizing the Lutheran Men in Mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
He was also honored by the North Carolina Council of Churches with the Charles Shelton Communications Award for producing and voicing “This Week in Religion” a weekly Sunday morning radio broadcast on station WPTF, Raleigh for 21 years.
He is survived by two sons; the Rev. Dr. John Moser Cobb(Irene) of Saskatchewan, Canada and William Jerry Cobb of Concord; two grandchildren; Jolan Cobb March, and Johannes Moser Cobb; three great grandchildren; William and Julia March and Micah Moser Cobb;, three sister Elizabeth Moser, of Columbia, TN; Mildred Agner and husband Dr. Marshall, of Cherryville; and Frances Powell and husband Ernest of Mars Hill, NC; sister in law Ellen Cobb of Midland, NC; and brother in law Rev. John D. Mauney, Jr. of Chapel Hill, NC; and 21 nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Cherryville at 2 PM Wednesday with Bishop Leonard Bolick and Rev. Dr. Robert Allen and Rev. Stephan Gerhard officiating. Interment will follow in St. John’s Cemetery. The family will receive friends Tuesday from 6-8 PM at Carpenter’s Funeral Home, 100 E. Main St., Cherryville, NC
Memorials may be made to Home Mission foundation, PO Box 375, Granite Quarry, NC 28072.
