Tim Tebow announced on social media Friday that his father, Bob Tebow, has died at the age of 78. The former Florida Gators quarterback shared the news with an emotional tribute on social media.
Who was Bob Tebow?
Bob Tebow whose full name was Robert Ramsey Tebow Jr was born on January 27, 1948 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He lived a life centered on faith, family and helping others.
According to IMDb, He married Pam Tebow on June 12 in 1971 and they had five children, Kathryn, Christine, Robby, Peter and Tim. He was also a grandfather to Daphne Reign, Jackson Peter, Charlotte Grace and Saylor Faith Tebow.
As per Fox News, Bob was widely known for his missionary work. In 1985, he and his wife moved their family to Mindanao in the Philippines. His goal was to “share the Gospel with every man, woman, and child.” He spent many years working with people in need.
Tim Tebow once described what his father was like while doing this work. Speaking to People in 2015, he said, “When you see Dad in a third-world country with hurting people, you’re like, ‘that’s what he’s meant to do.'” He added, “It’s his most comfortable place to be in the world.”
Tim shared in an interview with People that, Bob continued his work even after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2016. He returned to the Philippines and kept visiting children in orphanages.
According to a report by The New York Times cited by IMDb, geologist Dean Enderlin, who is related to the Tebow family traced their ancestry back to Andries Tibout. He was an ethnic Walloon from the region now known as Belgium and moved from Bruges to New Amsterdam (now New York) in 1686. Over time, the family name changed to “Tebow,” and later generations moved from New Jersey to Ohio, where Bob was born.
His passing and Tim’s tribute
Tim Tebow shared the news of his father’s death in a heartfelt social media post. Instead of focusing on grief, he spoke about faith and hope.
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“Heaven ushered in a hero of the faith last night as my Dad was welcomed home! Many will say sorry for your loss but the truth is he’s not lost, we know exactly where he is. He’s home. Forever!” Tim wrote.
He also shared a personal moment from shortly before his father’s passing. “I asked him last week what he looked forward to most about Heaven, and he simply said, ‘Jesus,'” Tim continued.
“He couldn’t wait to see Jesus face to face. Praise God that his wait is over. Death has been swallowed up in victory. He’s healed and whole now. So we don’t mourn as those with no hope. See you soon Dad!,” he added.