TUMBERLINSON
NEWS Staff Report
AUSTIN, TX—Lifelong educator and former San Benito CISD Board of Trustees President Robert “Bob” Lake Tumberlinson was posthumously recognized at the State Capitol with an official proclamation by the State House of Representatives.
Tumberlinson, 85, passed away surrounded by his family on Monday, October 16, 2023.
According to his obituary, Tumberlinson was born March 27, 1938, in New Haven, Connecticut, to Leon and Grace Russell Tumberlinson. His parents were from Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, where their large families settled in the early 1800s and established the farming community of Morgantown.
Bob Tumberlinson, as he was more commonly called, celebrated his fifth birthday on the road to San Benito, where his paternal grandmother owned land, according to his obituary. Raised on a San Benito farm, Bob Tumberlinson found studying plants and animals a natural fit when he reached Texas A&I College after graduating from San Benito High School in 1956.
This love of horticulture stayed with Tumberlinson throughout his life, which he passed down to his children, until the early 1980s, when the family sold most of its farm holdings in what currently is the San Benito Industrial Park.
The proclamation, signed by Texas House Speaker Matthew McDade Phelan and co-authored by District 37 House Representative and San Benito native Janie Lopez, reads, in its entirety:
WHEREAS, Residents of San Benito lost an admired educator with the passing of Robert Lake Tumberlinson on October 16, 2023, at the age of 85; and
WHEREAS; The son of Leon and Grace Tumberlinson, Bob Tumberlinson was born in New Haven, Connecticut, on March 27, 1938, and grew up on a farm in San Benito; active in FFA, he won the highest state award, the Lone Star Farmer Degree; upon graduation from Texas A&I University, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army; he completed active duty in New Orleans and then served in the reserve for nine years, attaining the rank of captain and commanding the Harlingen reserve unit; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Tumberlinson began his civilian career with the United States Department of Agriculture in Alvin; in 1962, he was hired to teach science at San Benito Junior High School; he went on to become assistant principal and then served for more than 16 years as principal of the San Benito High School; together with students and a fellow educator, he designed and planted the line of palm trees in front of the high school; he was business manager for the school district from 1995 until his retirement in 2002; deeply committed to SBCISD, he was a member of the school board for nine years and served as president; his work with students were recognized with Honorary Chapter Farmer and Honorary State FFA Degrees; and
WHEREAS, For many years, Mr. Tumberlinson was a member of the Dolly Vinsant Memorial Hospital Board and Scholarship Board, and he served the Kiwanis Club as president and as lieutenant governor Division 11 of the Texas Oklahoma District of Kiwanis International; he was active with First Presbyterian Church and benefited the congregation as a ruling elder and a building and grounds committee member; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Tumberlinson was the devoted husband of Sandra Tumberlinson; he took great pride in his two children, Janice and Robert, from his first marriage to Jahn Locke; an avid outdoorsman, he excelled at fishing and hunting, and he kept and extensive vegetable garden, as well as citrus trees that yielded plenty of fruit to share with friends; on travels out west, he enjoyed looking for arrow points, studying mountain geology, and digging for fossils, which he mounted in the walls of his house; and
WHEREAS, Kind, fair, and empathetic, Bob Tumberlinson dedicated himself to setting young Texans on the path toward a happy, productive future, and he will forever be remembered with great affection by all who knew him; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas Legislature, 4th Called Session, hereby pay tribute to the life of Bob Tumberlinson and extend sincere condolences to the members of his family: to his wife, Sandra Tumberlinson; to his children, Janice Tumberlinson and Robert Tumberlinson Jr. and his wife, Mary; to his sister-in-laws, Arlene Tumberlinson and Dolores Ramirez; and to his many other relatives and friends; and, be it further.
Bob Tumberlinson is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Don, his maternal uncle John (Jean) Russell, his paternal uncle Reuben (Frances) Tumberlinson, and his in-laws, Raul and Celia Longoria. As mentioned in the proclamation, he is survived by his wife Sandra, also a retired educator and known for work with the San Benito Historical Society; his children- daughter Janice and son Robert, Jr. (Mary) from his first marriage to Jahn Locke; his sisters-in-law Arlene Tumberlinson and Dolores Ramirez; his cousins, Carol Tumberlinson Seavey, Jimmy, Lee and Johnny Russell and his nieces LeAnn (Tom) Jaeger and Andrea (Sean) Dvoran.
As a student at San Benito High School, Bob Tumberlinson was active in Future Farmers of America (FFA) and was awarded the highest state award, the Lone Star Farmer Degree.
He was a charter member of the SBHS Key Club and a lifelong member of the Kiwanis Club, serving as president and Lt. Governor of Division 11 of the Texas Oklahoma Division. The highlight of his term as Lieutenant Governor was installing the Matamoros, MX. Kiwanis Club officers in Spanish.
While at A&I University, now Texas A&M-Kingsville, Bob Tumberlinson graduated in 1960 with a commission as Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. He served on active duty in New Orleans and, upon completion, was employed by the USDA in Alvin, TX, where he planned soil conservation activities with local farmers and ranchers.
After active duty, he served in the U.S. Army Reserves for nine years, completing his military obligation in 1969 as a captain and the position of Commanding Officer with the Harlingen U.S. Army Reserve Unit.
In 1962, Tumberlinson accepted a position with the San Benito Consolidated Independent School District, teaching science at San Benito Junior High. He later became an assistant principal and, eventually, principal of San Benito High School for 15 and a half years, a tenure that has yet to be equaled.
Bob Tumberlinson became SBCISD business manager in 1995 and, after a 41-year career, retired in 2002. He was elected to the SBCISD school board for nine years, where, as president, the board named the new stadium in honor of native son, Olympian Bobby Morrow.
As principal, Bob, with teacher Sonny Brazil’s help and the agriculture classes, designed, set out and planted all the palm trees that line Oscar Williams Road in front of the high school.
Tumberlinson was raised in the San Benito Methodist Church, where his parents attended. Bob and Sandra Tumberlinson are members of the 1st Presbyterian Church, where he was a ruling elder for many years and served on the building and grounds committee.
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