John W. Cobb, Sr., 91, of Florence, formerly of Columbia, died Friday, July 13, 2018. He was born February 12, 1927 in Richland County to Frank W. and Margaret Koon Cobb. Mr. Cobb attended schools in Richland County and Columbia and left Columbia High School in the 10th grade to join the US Navy during WWII. He attended basic training and two military schools for electrical and sound motion picture at Bainbridge, MD. After graduation, he was sent to duty in the Asiatic Pacific Zone aboard a troop transport ship, transporting occupation troops from island to island and to Japan for signing of the peace treaty at the end of WWII.

John returned home in June of 1946 and attended tech schools and performed on the job training in electrical engineering. He worked in industrial electrical construction until 1953 when he accepted the position of head maintenance engineer (dietary division) with the SC State Hospital until 1961. He then went to work as plant engineer with two companies responsible for construction, production line layout, facilities and equipment maintenance, design of mechanical and structural plans for operation in the US, Jamaica, Haiti and India, until his retirement in 1987. One to never rest, John went back to work with his son in home construction and improvements.

Survivors include his wife of 70 years, Rado Sloan Cobb; children, Jacqueline "Jackie" Shaw (Randy), John W. Cobb, Jr. (Dary), and Michael Cobb; grandchildren, Michael McGowan and Sloan Perratta (Alfred); and brother, Herman Cobb (Ruth). In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by brothers, Thomas and James Cobb; and a sister, Ola Mae Sligh.

The funeral service for Mr. Cobb will be held 2 o'clock, Saturday, July 21st at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road Ext., Columbia. The family will receive friend prior to the service beginning at 1 o'clock. Interment with military honors will follow at Ebenezer Holiness Baptist Church Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Ebenezer Holiness Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 1010 Sloan Road, Columbia, SC 29223.