Biography: James Richard Claiborne Cobb, 67, of Little Rock, died suddenly January 16, 2010. Jim Cobb was a very private person; the only way this obituary could be published would be “over his dead body”. That being said, his family is extremely proud of his life, what he stood for, his compassion, his work and his love for family, friends and Arkansas, and they want to share with you some of that life. Jim grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, Tampa, Florida, and Wilmington, Deleware. He was educated at the Tower Hill School, the Ashville School for Boys and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and served as president and as pledge trainer. He was a Coca Cola bottler in Wilmington and a banker in Little Rock, where he was Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of First Commercial Corp. and Chairman of First Commercial Bank when he retired in 1996 to fish and hunt at his favorite places: the Ouachita River, the Cross Pond Duck Club and Whiskey Tree Duck Club. Before and after his retirement he served Little Rock and Arkansas on many boards: Pulaski Academy, Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation; he was Chairman of the Board of CART I, CARTI Foundation (founding member), Arkansas Caduceus Club, and the American Cancer Society (Arkansas Division and Pulaski County units) and was the Arkansas delegate to the National Board of Delegates of the American Cancer Society. Jim received the Shuffield Award from the Arkansas Medical Society. Jim loved to travel, especially to Africa, to Argentina where he hunted dove, and to Belize and Crested Butte, CO, where he fished for bonefish, tarpon, snook, snapper and trout. Jim is survived by his wife, Virginia Stuart Chapman Cobb; his son, Dr. William Claiborne Cobb and his wife Natalie of Newport, Arkansas; his daughter, Cynthia Ruffin Cobb of Los Angeles, California and three grandchildren, John, Katie, and Emily Cobb of Newport, Arkansas. He was preceded in death by his parents, Elizabeth Whitaker Cobb and James Harvol Cobb of Little Rock, his brother, William Albert Bellingraph and his sister, Elizabeth Ruffin Bellingraph McClure. There will be a visitation from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, January 18, 2010 at Ruebel Funeral Home, 6313 West Markham. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. There will be a private family graveside service. Arrangements by Ruebel Funeral Home. www.ruebelfuneralhome.com Memorials may be made to the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, 4301 W. Markham #623, Little Rock, AR 72205 or to Arkansas Children's Hospital, 800 Marshall St., Little Rock, AR 72202
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