Robert Charles Matlock

Robert Charles ‘Bob’ Matlock, age 84 passed away on Friday, May 24, 2024, in Pensacola, Florida. Bob was born in Glendale, California on October 7, 1939, to the late Carl Albert Matlock of Joplin, Missouri and Shirley Zinn Matlock of Sheraton, Wyoming. He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1959 and was stationed at Ventura AFB in California. He served for 4 years and 9 months before leaving the military for the first time. He then relocated his family to North Carolina, where he was employed at Shuford Mills in Hudson, N.C. Three years later (1967), he reenlisted in the Air Force. He was stationed at Shaw AFB in Sumter, S.C. before being deployed to Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Thailand. After his time in Thailand, he was stationed in Germany from 1972-1975 where he met the love of his life, Dodie. He was reassigned to Myrtle Beach AFB, S.C. and Bob and Dodie married on December 16, 1978. In October 1979, he was reassigned to Balgat Air Station (Headquarters Tuslog), in Ankara, Turkey. In November 1981 he received a humanitarian reassignment to Hurlburt Field, Florida and settled in Pensacola, FL. Bob served his country for a total of 20 years before retiring as a Master Sergeant from Hurlburt Field AFB on January 31, 1983. Upon retirement, Bob attended George Stone Technical School for air-conditioning and refrigeration using the GI Bill. He and his late mother-in-law, Blondell Wilkerson, then started their own business, Bob & Dell’s Appliances. Through connections he gained from George Stone Technical School Bob joined the Civil Service and worked at NAS Pensacola at the Naval Supply Center starting out as a Purchasing Agent and retiring in 1997 as a Contract Specialist after 12 additional years of federal service. After his retirement from federal service, Bob kept busy holding various jobs over the years, however, his most enjoyable and meaningful job post-retirement was his work at the Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola restoring various aircraft on display for everyone to enjoy, all the while repairing washers and dryers in his free time. He is preceded in death by his parents, Carl & Shirley Matlock and brothers Jimmy and Bill. He is survived by his wife of 45 years Dodie; three children, Robert Charles Matlock Jr., Lori Hanson and Thomas Matlock; 3 grandchildren: Justin Hanson (Jessica), Chelsea Matlock (Levi), and Lindsey Loyed (Andrew); 4 great grandchildren, Jaxson, Austyn, Jensen and Bryce, Bob’s Thursday Museum Breakfast Club Crew and a host of other family and friends. Visitation will be Saturday, June 8, 2024, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home South, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Graveside Service will be Monday, June 10, 2024, at Barrancas National Cemetery, NAS Pensacola, Florida. The funeral procession will be leaving Faith Chapel South at 9:30 AM. Reverend Chris Coats will be officiating. The family would like to extend many thanks and gratitude to Bob’s long time oncologist Dr. Dissanyake and his staff for their dedicated and compassionate care during his 20-year battle with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and the medical care team with Covenant/Vitas Hospice Care for all of the support over the last six months.

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Robert Charles Matlock

October 7, 1939 - May 24, 2024