Long time Columbus/Lowndes county resident, Alfred Conway (Al) Dobbs passed away Sunday, February 11, 2024.

Al was born on September 23, 1931, in Macon, Noxubee County, Mississippi. He was the youngest and last surviving of four sons born to Reuben (Dick) N. and Edna Allsup Dobbs.

The Dobbs' moved to Lowndes county in 1943 and operated a Columbus Co-Op grade "A" dairy farm West of Columbus on Old West Point Rd. near the Old Plymouth settlement, now the West Bank of Columbus Lock and Dam.

Al attended Franklin Academy and, then, Stephen D. Lee High School in Columbus where he graduated from the later with the class of 1949. After high school, Al enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force and was stationed in Los Angeles, California. He served from 1951- 1953 as a Airframe mechanic. It was while being stationed there in Los Angeles the he met and married his longtime wife and partner, June Annabel Palm. June and Al married on June 26, 1955, and initially resided in Orange County, California before moving to Lowndes County in late 1955. They resided in Lowndes county at the family farm until 1958, when they returned to Orange County, California where they remained until 1965 living in La Habra and Anaheim, CA respectively. The couple returned to Columbus in 1965 where they remained until the present time.

Serving in the Air Force as an Airframe mechanic garnered AL the skill of metal finishing, which he put to good use later in civilian live. Mr. Dobbs may be remembered by many in the community as an Instructor at Columbus/Lowndes Vocational/Technical School at Mayhew, MS, where he taught Machining and Metal Finishing.

Al wore many vocational "hats" during his lifetime, from farmer to business owner and educator. He owned and operated a sheet metal shop on Old West Point Rd. in the late 1950's and early 1960's. He was part-owner and manager of Columbus Plastics Plant which manufactured Styrofoam products (Ceiling tile). He was also a gifted craftsman; those who knew him would agree the he could design and create most anything he set his mind to. He designed and held a patent for a component used in Geiger counters by mining companies. He also designed several of the machines used in the processing of plastic beads to produce Styrofoam.

Mr. Dobbs was a longtime member of the Seventh Street Church of Christ in Columbus where his parents were among the founding members. He is preceded in death by his parents, Reuben N. and Edna Allsup Dobbs, his three elder brother, Richard, Robert and Harold Dobbs and his nephew, Nathan B. Dobbs.

He is survived by his loving wife, June A. Dobbs, his sister-in-law, Sally (Mrs. Harold) Dobbs and his nieces and nephews: Melyssa Dobbs Rodriguez (Rick), Harold Dallas Dobbs (Jerri), Randy Dobbs (Lynn), James Dobbs, and Sallie Dobbs Griffeth (Kent) and all of their many children and grandchildren.

A private family remembrance gathering is planned as per Mr. Dobb's request.