Robert Daniel Tidwell passed October 9, 2025, in Jacksonville, FL. He was born in Birmingham, AL on June 17, 1938, to Grover Burton Smith and Katherine Barr (Tidwell). He grew up in Florence, Alabama and married his high school sweetheart; they had three children. Bob worked as a milkman and in local grocery stores, then decided to put himself through college working night shifts at PET Milk Company. He graduated from Florence State College with a degree in Political Science and pursued his post-graduate degree at Western Kentucky University in Geography.
Bob and his family moved to Eastern Kentucky, where he worked as a planner for the nine-county planning district. He finished his career in Jacksonville, Florida, where he relocated to work as a Health Planner and adjunct at the University of North Florida. After retirement, Bob became an avid horticulturist with over four hundred Bonsai plants and developed a love for woodworking. He was an enthusiastic and knowledgeable environmentalist and genuinely wanted to leave the world a better place.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Sondra Tidwell Oldham, and most notably his beloved Uncle Bobby, Seaman 1st Class Robert Neil Barr, who perished at sea December 18, 1944. Bob made it his mission to keep Bobby Barr’s legacy alive, lest we forget.
Bob is survived by his sister, Beverly Buckins (Mickey); his children, Suzanne Tidwell, Laura Tidwell Martin (Dave Grooms), Danny Tidwell (Cara); his grandchildren, Betsy Myrick, Joseph Martin, Katey Tidwell, Melissa Tidwell and Sean-Thomas Tidwell; his great-grandchildren, Lili Martin, Sebastian Martin and Peyton Martin; and his best friend and life companion, Barbara Y. Tidwell.
Join us for a celebration of Bob’s life journey on November 9, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Blue Cypress Fishing Pier.
