Robert “Bob” Roscoe Childs,

Posted on December 25, 2024

Robert “Bob” Roscoe Childs, 98, passed away Dec. 18, 2024, in New Smyrna Beach. He was born Jan. 9, 1926, to Walter Hobson Childs and Ruth Peters Childs in Youngstown, Ohio. As a young man, Bob was in the Boy Scouts. It was there he developed a strong sense of integrity that would carry him through his adult life. While in the Boy Scouts, he earned the rank of Eagle Scout. After graduating from high school in 1943, he attended Bethany College and Wesley College before joining the Navy and attending preflight school. When World War II ended, Bob left the Navy and moved with his family to Tampa. He continued his education and received a chemical engineering degree from the University of Florida in 1948. That same year he married the love of his life, Jean Hall of Tampa. Bob and Jean moved to Louisville, Ky., where he received a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Louisville. Afterward they moved to Memphis, Tenn., where he was employed with Procter and Gamble. In 1951 they moved to Perry, where he joined the team to design and build the Buckeye Cellulose plant. Bob was a chemical engineer there for 38 years. He enjoyed serving the community through the Perry Kiwanis Club, where he also was elected and also served at the state level as lieutenant governor. In addition, he served on the school board for Taylor County and on the Board of Trustees at North Florida Junior College. Bob was a faithful member of First Baptist Church of Perry, where he served as Sunday School director and teacher, and sang in the choir. He was active with Habitat for Humanity. Bob was preceded in death by: his parents, Walter Hobson Childs and Ruth Peters Childs Dunbar; two brothers, Ted Childs and Tom Childs; and his wife of 72 years, Jean Hall Childs. He is survived by: one brother, Sam Childs (Sandy); son, Richard Childs (Beth); daughter, Karen Childs Griffiths (Joseph); three grandchildren, Robert Childs (Veronica), Michael Childs (Yaritza) and Scott Childs (Tabitha); and six great-grandchildren, Bella Childs, Kaylan Childs, Avery Childs, Rylie Childs, Sadie Childs and Noah Childs. A memorial service will be held Monday, Dec. 30, at 2 p.m. at Joe P. Burns Funeral Home in Perry. Interment will follow at Pineview Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the funeral service, starting at 1 p.m. The family wishes to extend special thanks to Lexington Place, Home Instead and Vitas Hospice for their loving attention and care during this difficult time. All arrangements are under the direction of Joe P. Burns Funeral Home of Perry. Friends may sign the online guest book at www. joepburnsfuneralhomes. com. In lieu of f lowers, donations may be made to sendrelief.org, a disaster relief ministry of the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, which assisted Taylor County residents during the recent hurricanes or to Habitat for Humanity.