Robert Bingham Luebke Jr.'s Obituary
Robert Bingham Luebke, Jr. was born in Santa Monica, CA, on Dec. 7, 1937. He was always laughing that was D-Day in more ways than one. His parents were Robert Bingham Luebke, Sr and Dorothy Marion Griggs. Dorothy Luebke died at a young age leaving Bob under the care of his dad. His youth was spent with his father who was employed in the air craft industry. They traveled between CA and GA. He graduated from Northside High School in Atlanta. While in high school, he was in the military reserve program. After high school, he enrolled at Erskine College in South Carolina graduating in 1961. That year, he enrolled in the seminary at Erskine Theological College and graduated in 1964. Following his ordination by the ARP Church, he served two churches in Statesville, NC.
In 1967, he reported to Chaplain School Basic Course in New Port, Rhode Island for active duty as a US Navy Chaplain. Shortly after, he served two combat tours with USN SeaBees and Marines in Vietnam. Subsequent tours of duty included assignments with both Navy and Marines Corps, and their families at bases in CA, HI, FL, GA, RI and NC. Seagoing deployments to the Mediterranean includes assignments aboard destroyers (1974) and an aircraft carrier, USS Saratoga CV-60, (1984.)
In 1985, he was received into the Savannah Presbytery of the PCUSA denomination. During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, he was assigned as Command Chaplain at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC, and retired as a USN Captain in 1994. After moving back to Florida, he transferred to Central Florida Presbytery, PCUSA and served several churches in that area.
Bob had 5 children with his first wife, Carol King Luebke. Robert Bingham Luebke III (deceased), Jonathan Ray Luebke, Lisa L Rapson (Rick), Dorothy C. Lawrence and Christine L. Mort (Mike). He is survived by eight grandchildren: Lindsey R Bouyelas (Nick), Kayla R Loveland (Cody), Alex Rapson, Andrew Rapson, Samantha Schmid, Hannah Schmid, Caroline Lawrence and Max Lawrence. One great-grandchild: Isaiah Bouyelas. The following people, too, were close to Bob’s heart: Barbara Brown, Pam Getz (Clark), Gary Brown (Debbie), George Edmondson (Joyce).
Bob and Sondra Brown Luebke have been married for 42 years and retired in Mt. Dora, FL. Fair winds and following seas, my love!!!
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