Neil Alan Cobb, 69, died July 24 at Sacred Heart Hospital after complications from surgery. He was a beloved husband, father, son, brother, educator, theater director, arts lover, and friend. Born in Great Bend, KS, and reared in greater Chicago, he graduated from Fenton High School, earned his BS at Illinois State U., and later his MS in Administration and Supervision at West Florida University.

Survivors include his wife Linda Cobb, whom he married in 1984, his sons Tommy, Grant, and Daniel; his daughter Alyssa and her husband Justin Weyand; his mother Lucille Marie Houk Cobb; and his three sisters, Gayle, Kathy, and Emily and their families.

Neil’s professional life was devoted to teaching and enhancing education. He taught in Normal, IL, Community High School, 1971-1980; at the Eckerd Foundation Boy’s Camps, 1980-1982; and recently retired after 30 years in the Escambia School System, working mostly with emotionally disabled children.

His “second life and passion” has been theater. Starting at age 15 and continuing until this year, Neil has acted in, designed, produced, technically directed and/or directed more than 95 shows. He was instrumental in writing the grant that established the Pensacola Cultural Center as a historical landmark, allowing the Pensacola Little Theater to have a new home in 1996.

At Pensacola Little Theater, Neil directed more than 11 musicals and numerous plays. It is hard to say which ones were his favorites because he became totally immersed in every show he touched.

Public school teaching and theater coalesced in the past decade as Neil volunteered at Tate High School, helping produce and direct over 30 shows with drama teacher Steve Tuley, who became his best friend.

Since the mid 1980s, Neil and Linda have been active members of UUCP (Unitarian Universalist Church of Pensacola, which was Pensacola Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, PUUF); besides serving as president, financial team member, and nominating committee, Neil, along with co-writer Don Parker, has written, directed, and produced six popular mystery theaters there that served as fundraisers.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held for Mr. Neil Cobb on Sunday, September 1, 2019, at 2:00 p.m., at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 9888 Pensacola Boulevard, Pensacola, Florida, 32534. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully suggests that contributions be made to the Tate High School Drama Department or the Unitarian Universalist Church Memorial Gardens.