You might not have known Roy Gober personally, but chances are your lives were made safer as a result of his years of dedicated service helping Franklin County residents prepare for and protect themselves from severe weather events.
Gober died Tuesday, May 20, at the age of 80.
A Vietnam Veteran who served in the United States Army, Gober spent more than four decades as a volunteer firefighter in the Burnout, Halltown and Gravel Hill Fire Departments. He also served as Director of the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency until retiring in late 2014. Gober also served on the Franklin County 911 Board until 2021.
Franklin County Probate Judge Barry Moore had the opportunity to work with Gober and saw first-hand Gober’s dedication to the people of his home county.
“Roy had a deep concern for keeping the citizens of Franklin County safe through his efforts as EMA Director. He successfully got numerous grants for safety equipment ,” Moore said. “He was a very good man and a man of his word. Roy will be greatly missed.
“It was an honor for me to work with Roy Gober. He was a man of integrity,” Moore added.
Mary Hallman-Glass is the current Franklin County EMA Director. She had the privilege to work with Gober and admired his ‘unwavering commitment’ to serving others.
“His dedication to public safety and community service left an indelible mark on Franklin County. Roy Gober’s legacy is one of service, compassion and unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of Franklin County,” Hallman-Glass said.
“He will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege to work alongside him and benefit from his leadership,” she added.
Gober was instrumental in coordinating Franklin County’s response to the devastating April 27, 2011, EF-5 tornado that ravaged the Phil Campbell, East Franklin and Oak Grove communities, often working with little or no sleep in the face of unimaginable tragedy.
Gober and others worked to secure a $660,000 grant for the Franklin County Emergency Management Agency to purchase community storm shelters across the county, including 10 in 2012.
Gober had a matter-of-fact way about him, as evidenced when he was asked by a reporter in 2012 whether the storm shelters purchased with the grant that each held 48 or 80 people were ‘adequate.’
“I guarantee you if an EF-5 tornado is bearing down on you, you can sit on the floor, you can stand, you can scrunch more people in there.
Gober is survived by his wife of 16 years, Wanda Lawler Gober, his son John Gober (Sheree), ‘bonus children’ J.T. Lawler (Nadia), Shannon Skidmore (Jason), grandchildren Jesse Skidmore and Amelia Lawler, brother Felton Gober (Carolyn), sister Marcia Day and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Betty, and his parents James and Euple Lynn (Adams) Gober.
Visitation will be 1-3 p.m., Friday, May 23, at Spry Memorial Chapel in Russellville. The funeral will follow at 3 p.m., in the chapel with Bro. Mark McCullar officiating the service. Burial will follow at Sparks Chapel Cemetery.
