Robert (Bobby) Eugene Nimocks Jr., 90, died of natural causes at Carolina Inn on Monday, May 11, 2020 in Fayetteville, NC.
Bobby graduated from Fayetteville High School in 1948, and from Davidson College in 1952 where he remained in touch with many of his buddies for decades after. He played basketball for Davidson and was an alumnus of Beta Theta Pi.
After graduating from Davidson, he studied German abroad at the University of Heidelberg and received an Interpreter’s certificate from the University of Munich.
His two years in Europe were spent on a bike touring and living with his host family, the Stolbergs with whom he maintained a lifetime friendship. He spoke fluent German and stayed up to date and in practice.
A born salesman, Bobby worked for Thomason Industries, Boise Cascade, Terminix, and finally at Soffee company as National Sales Manager until he retired at age 77.
A natural storyteller, Bobby will always be remembered as a “character” with charming eccentricities and an engaging sense of humor with a great sense of timing. Bobby loved classical music and the symphony orchestra but by far his favorite pastime was socializing and making people laugh.
He enjoyed writing poetry and jokes, and he won recognition in a writer’s national publication in the seventies and in 1997, published a book of poetry called Filets.
For many years, family vacations were spent at the Haigh cottage (his sister’s) at Holden Beach. The highlight was the crabbing expedition led by “Captain Bobby” which often resulted in a car getting stuck in sand and culminated in a family feast at the end of the day to celebrate the catch.
Boiling crab pots and cocktail sauce, laughter and sunburns, he always loved events that brought aunts, uncles, nephews, children and nearby neighbors together.
His best friend John Huske never gave up trying to convert Bobby to an expert quail hunter but much to his dismay, that conversion never took place and Bobby’s lack of hunting skills were often the inspiration behind his many self-deprecating stories on the subject that would have his family and friends in tears.
His carpentry skills were no better. No one was less handy than Bobby Nimocks and he never met a hammer or screwdriver he got along with and to celebrate that lack of talent, he named himself “Mr. MaGoo.”
He had a modest portfolio of magic tricks that he would use to entertain children and grandchildren, his favorite being the “quarter behind the ear,” a trick remembered fondly by his grandson Charles later as a teenager.
A little known fact about Bobby was that he was a remarkably adept ping pong player. Despite the family’s best efforts over decades, he was never defeated by any member of his family no matter how practiced, and he once won a ping pong championship for the state of North Carolina.
A dedicated friend, he religiously kept up with those he knew and always visited his elders. To his nephews he always promised them “check was in the mail” and it was years before they figured it was all a joke.
From entertaining his family on long trips with stories about the golden egg, to simple card tricks, and silly stories, Bobby lived a long and full life with few regrets and a lot to be grateful for.
He was predeceased by his parents, Robert Eugene Nimocks Sr. and Daisy Bell Nimocks of Fayetteville, NC; his sister Peggy Nimocks Haigh and his grandson, Charles Aubrey Rogers, 20.
He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Anne McCabe Nimocks, of Fayetteville, NC; his daughter Anne Moss Nimocks Rogers of Richmond, VA and his son Robert Eugene Nimocks III (Gene) of Asheville, NC, his grandchildren Richard Lee Rogers and Aurora Anne Wulf and his four nephews; Chip, Nimocks, Charles and Marsden Haigh.
During a time of COVID-19 and grief without the gathering, his family offers gratitude to the dedicated staff at Carolina Inn and Community Hospice who never left him alone in his final hours.
A private graveside service will be planned at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra.
Copyright 2020 The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer