Robert L. Hinson, Sr.

Robert "Bobby" Leroy Hinson, Sr., 78, of Franklinville, passed away Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro. A funeral service will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 12, 2021, at Ridge Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Frank Barrett officiating. Burial will follow at Randolph Memorial Park. Military honors will be provided by the Randolph County Honor Guard. Mr. Hinson was born April 5, 1943, in Lumberton, NC, to the late Robert Edward Hinson and Letha Mae Edwards. Robert served in the United States Navy on the USS Gyatt, DDG-1. The world's first guided missile destroyer. He was a 1968 graduate of Croft Business College, Greensboro, NC where he studied Business Administration and Accounting. Robert was formerly employed by Klopman Mills as a weaver, worked as an insurance investigator with Hooper Homes, served on the Randleman police force in 1960, owned and operated Gospel Crusade Bookstore in Clinton, NC, and while living in Colorado, worked with Century 21 as a realtor and owned his own real estate business, Neighborhood Realty. He also owned and operated H&H Construction Company and PSD Martial Arts & Supplies. Robert started his National Park Service (NPS) career in 1976 as a carpenter for Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Manteo, NC, then moved to the Williamsport Preservation Training Center, Williamsport, Maryland, and in November of 1981 he transferred to the Denver Service Center, Lakewood, CO where he retired as Chief of the Estimating Branch in 1996 at the age of 53 with 20 years of Federal Service. He enjoyed telling stories of his adventures and travels. Robert was the only NPS employee certified to teach asbestos abatement and traveled all over the country conducting training classes. We all remember the stories he told of working on the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, as well as the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C., the Old State House, Faneuil Hall in Boston, Massachusetts, Maggie Walker House in Richmond, VA, President Lindon Johnson's Texas White House, and during President Bush 41's reign, he was very careful to tell us only certain stories of his work in the White House. He provided the state of Illinois with an estimate for preservation work of the Chicago Navy Pier, and worked with the North Carolina Historic Society in completing restoration on the Life Saving Station at Chicamacomico, NC. While working with the NPS, his travels carried him all over the United States, Alaska, Guam and Sipan. Robert's calling was his preaching and teaching which he loved above all. He established the Gospel Crusade in 1973. For 20 years he preached/pastored in North Carolina and Colorado. Starting out on the radio, preached in tents, and on the street corner. He preached in Southern, Independent and Missionary Baptist Churches, as well as Church of God, Pentecostal, and Independent Holiness. His radio ministry on WSM-Nashville, TN., and KLTT-AM670 in Denver, CO, where he preached every Sunday morning and hosted the Rocky Mountain Jubilee every Saturday afternoon (a one-hour Southern Gospel music program). His tape ministry was a labor of love and supplied free gospel tapes to 46 truck stops across the country. He heard from many who picked up and listened to his tapes. He served as pastor the last two years for Solid Rock Baptist Church. Robert enjoyed life, had a sense of humor and made others laugh with his stories. His passions were hunting, fishing, going to the shooting range, gardening, writing poetry, playing his piano and his guitar where he was self taught, baseball, building wood projects, and Martial Arts. He enjoyed reading the book of John. He loved family gatherings and telling stories of his youth to the children. He viewed money as a tool to help others - and that he did. In addition to his parents, Robert was preceded in death by his brothers, James "Bunky" and Ronald Hinson. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Nancy Suggs Hinson of the home; four children, Tina Lynn Harrison (Jay) of Denver, CO, Robert Leroy Hinson of Denver, CO, Roy Edward Hinson of Aurora, CO, and Sharon Annette Robinson (Shane) of Conifer, CO; eight grandchildren, and two great grandchildren; brother, Rev. Ernest Tillman Hinson (Marlene) of Star, NC; and sisters, Glenda Hughes (Tony) of Staley, NC, Brenda Pittman (Lonnie) of Supply, NC, Shirle Hinson (Jackie) of Ramseur, NC, Edna Rae Freeman of Lumberton, NC. Mr. Hinson will lie in state from 1:00 until 4:00 p.m. Sunday, July 11, 2021, at Ridge Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 9:45 - 10:45 a.m. Monday prior to the service. Memorials may be made to 5P- Society, P.O. Box 268 Lakewood, CA, 90714 for research on Cri Du Chat Syndrome. (www.fivepminus.org/donate)