Mr. Robert Walter Dews

Robert Walter ("Bobby") Dews, 76, died on December 26, 2015, at Phoebe-Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, Ga. Honoring Mr. Dews' expressed wishes, a private service is being planned by the family. Mr. Dews was born in Clinton, Iowa on March 23, 1939, but lived the majority of his life in his beloved Edison, Georgia. He was preceded in death by his father and stepmother, Robert Porter Dews and Margery Killingsworth Dews, and his mother Marian Hiers. He is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Glenda Bolin Dews; his daughter and son-in-law Dana Dews Gates and John Paul Gates of Richmond, Va.; his grandson and namesake Robert Dawson Gates; his sister Patricia MacLean of Trussville, Ala.; his stepsister Marcia Killingsworth of Edison, Ga.; stepbrothers Lawrence Killingsworth of Spokane, Wa. and Scott Killingsworth of Atlanta; and several nieces and nephews. Additionally, Mr. Dews leaves behind numerous cousins who consider him more of an uncle or a brother than a cousin. Mr. Dews graduated from Edison High School, and played baseball and basketball for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets before being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. He followed in the footsteps of his stepmother and other family members by obtaining his Associate's degree from Andrew College in Cuthbert, Ga., and he later graduated with a Bachelor's degree from West Georgia College. Mr. Dews' athletic career speaks for itself. He was inducted into the Georgia Institute of Technology Hall of Fame and was a player, manager, scout and coach in professional baseball, most notably for the Atlanta Braves, for over 53 years. In addition to his love for The Game, he had a lifelong passion for fishing and quail hunting, and he was an accomplished author, having written several novels and books of short poetry and prose. He most recently served as the writer-in-residence for Andrew College in Cuthbert, Ga. A deeply spiritual man, Mr. Dews was a member of First United Methodist Church of Edison, Ga. Mr. Dews was a natural athlete, a masterful storyteller, a passionate family man, and a beloved friend to all who knew him. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Bobby Dews Memorial Athletic Scholarship Fund for Calhoun County High School in Edison, Ga. Fund is to be established; please send donations for holding to the Bank of Edison, 476 Turner Street, Edison, Ga., 39846. In addition, contributions may be made to the First United Methodist Church in Edison, Ga., or the Albany Rescue Mission in Albany, Ga

Mr. Robert Walter Dews

March 23, 1939 - December 26, 2015