Robert Eugene Tolbert

Robert Eugene Tolbert, 63, of Morganton, NC died Friday, April 17, 2015.  Born in Caldwell County, NC on May 7, 1951, he was the son of the late Clifford John Tolbert, Sr. and Jessie Gaye Phillips Tolbert.  He was a member of Way of the Cross Baptist Church and was a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Robert was a graduate of Fruitland Bible College and of Western Piedmont Community College.  For many years he worked at Rexnord.  For the past several years he enjoyed working with his true passion, auto paint and body work.  He was working on the restoration of a 1934 Ford Coupe.  Robert had a real knack for arts and crafts; he did all the design for crafts at his church’s vacation bible school.

Mr. Tolbert is survived by his wife, Barbara “Bobbie” Buff Tolbert of the home; a son, Sgt. 1^st Class Joshua E. Tolbert and his wife, Jackie, of Ft. Lewis, WA; daughters, Jessica Tolbert of Olympia, WA and Danielle Tolbert of Morganton; grandchildren, Emma Welling and Noah Tolbert; brothers, Kenneth Lee Tolbert and his wife, Sandra, of Lenoir, NC, Clifford John Tolbert, Jr. of Cape Carteret, NC, and Darryl Wayne Tolbert of Hildebran, NC; and sisters, Linda Sue Tolbert Corder of Icard, NC, Elizabeth Faye Tolbert Barnhardt and her husband, Charles, of Valdese, NC, and Judy Ann Tolbert Mitchum and her husband, Jim, of Cape Carteret.

The funeral will be held at 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at The Way of the Cross Baptist Church with the Rev. Richard Ellington officiating.  Burial will follow in Burke Memorial Park with the N.C. National Guard the Caldwell County Veterans Honor Guard officiating.  The family will receive friends at the church from 1:30 until 3:00 p.m. prior to the service.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Way of the Cross Baptist Church, c/o Rev. Richard Ellington, 107 Morgan Drive, Morganton, NC 28655.

Sossoman Funeral Home and Crematory Center is assisting the family with the arrangements.