Timothy Donald Dobbins, 91, of Radford, died Sunday, Oct. 6, 2024.
Don was a well-known and well-loved area personality who made a difference in the lives of many with his intelligence, understanding, wit and humor, and his passion for teaching, sports, and family.
Born and reared in West Radford, Don was one of Percy and Rhita Turner Dobbins’s seven children and outlived them all. He was especially close to his sisters Juanita Dobbins McPeak and Geneva Dobbins Young, and his brother Forrest Dobbins. The nickname “Big Toe” followed him from his childhood to the many local baseball teams he played with, coached, managed and supported. If he ever knew why that particular nickname was bestowed upon him, he never said. He met his future wife, Janell, when he refereed her basketball games for the Radford Rec Department.
Two years after Don graduated from Radford High School, he joined the U.S. Navy. He served as an electrician and toured the Mediterranean on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Randolph. Decades after his service he was contacted by an old shipmate, to thank Don for teaching him to play the guitar. The shipmate had gone on to make his living as a studio musician in Nashville.
After the Navy, Don earned his BS degree from Virginia Tech, and later completed his MS in Education from Radford College. He taught Distributive Education at Pulaski High School for four years before he began teaching DE at Radford High School in 1966. Over the next two decades, he was at times the Student Government advisor, DECA and ITC Clubs advisor, and later, Assistant Principal. After retiring from teaching, he researched and evaluated students for RPS. Distributive Education students worked in local retail jobs part of each day, and Don provided accompanying supervision and classroom instruction. He saw this as an opportunity to teach them practical life skills, such as social, workplace, and financial understanding. For the rest of his life, former students expressed their appreciation for this “extra” education and caring, and how it had impacted their lives.
For 40 years, “The Voice of the Bobcats” lent his time and talent for public speaking to announcing Radford High School football and basketball games. He was inducted into the RHS Athletic Hall of Fame, and a plaque commemorates the Don Dobbins Press Box at Norman Lineburg Field in Bobcat Stadium.
Don was a member and president of the Radford Education Association, and represented them at conventions in Seattle, San Antonio, and Richmond. He also served two terms on the Radford City School Board.
As a member and president of the Radford Lions Club, Don collected eyeglasses, sold Christmas trees, and manned booths at the annual Variety Show, a days-long carnival-games type event that was extremely popular with Radford’s young people.
Don also served his community as a member of the Jaycees, German Club, and as announcer for various public events. He managed softball and baseball teams, umpired and refereed, and coached little league. He helped chaperone the Radford Sharks baseball team on summer trips to Cincinnati to see the Reds play at Crosley Field. In the early 1950s, Don co-wrote and directed the annual Fairlawn Firemen’s Jubilee, a music, dancing and comedy stage show with acts by local talent. He also performed in the show, singing and playing the guitar with his trio. The show was always a rousing success, especially in 1964, when the grand finale was a “Surprise From Behind the Barn,” with Don as John Lennon.
In 40 years as a member of Central United Methodist Church, Don served as youth coordinator, Sunday school teacher, and on various committees. Later, he attended Radford Presbyterian Church, and delivered Meals on Wheels for Radford Fairlawn Daily Bread.
In his younger days, Don enjoyed travel, visiting nearly every state in the U.S. and many European countries. He particularly relished Virginia Tech bowl games and Caribbean cruises. All his life he loyally supported the Bobcats, the Hokies, the Redskins, and the Nationals. But what he loved most was his family — his wife, son, daughter and son-in-law, two grandsons (that he was so proud of) and their families. Despite suffering a stroke on the day she was born, he lived to delight in meeting his fourth great-granddaughter.
Don Dobbins is survived by his wife of 68 years, Janell Nester Dobbins; his son Chris Dobbins, of Cornelius, N.C.; his daughter and son-in-law Kenny and Connie Akers of Radford; grandson Aaron Akers, his wife Delores Goad Akers and their daughters Sophia and Phoebe, of Radford; and his grandson Ian Akers, his wife Sarah Mayberry Akers and their daughters Isabelle and Rosalee, of Blacksburg. Also surviving are his brother-in-law Conrad Shurl Nester and his wife Diane; nephews Keith Duncan, Benjamin Nester, Jeryl Dobbins, Freddie Dobbins, and Darrel Dobbins; and niece Emily Nester Bunn.
A special thank you to Dr. Scott Hall of the Wytheville Veterans Administration Hospital, and Pulaski Rehabilitation Services for providing outstanding care.
Services will be held at Mullins Funeral Home in Radford Monday, Oct. 14. Visitation is at 10 a.m.; Celebration of Life is at 11. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Necessities Pantry at Presbyterian Church of Radford or Radford-Fairlawn Daily Bread.
The Dobbins family is in the care of Mullins Funeral Home & Crematory in Radford, Virginia.
