WILLIS B DOBSON

From TODAY, Voices
Tuesday October 28, 2008

By Dr James Dobson

I want to pay tribute today to a good man — who happened to be my uncle — Dr Willis B Dobson.

He earned his PhD in Shakespearean English at the University of Texas and served for more than 40 years as a humble professor at a small college.

He worked for peanuts compared to what he could have earned at a national university, but there was something more important to him than money.

Shortly after he retired, his beloved wife Naomi succumbed to cancer, and we expected him to wither and die without her.

Instead, he simply re-dedicated his life to the service of others.

At 70 years of age, he began a taxi service for what he called “old people.”

He set up a refreshment stand for the trash collectors in front of his house, serving hot chocolate in the winter and cold Cokes in the summer.

A few years later, Dr Willis B Dobson died early one Sunday morning.

He never received great acclaim or notoriety for his selfless commitment to others, but he was certainly a hero and a role model to me.