Former commissioner, veteran Robert Stephens dies at 90

Retired United States Army Air Force Captain and former Coffee County Commissioner Robert Stephens passed away Aug. 31 at age 90.

Stephens graduated from Elba High School and attended Auburn University before joining the 5^th Air Corps as a pilot during World War II.

Stephens also served as a Coffee County Commissioner for more than 26 years from 1986 to 2012, making him the county’s longest-sitting commissioner.

Commission Chairman Tom Grimsley, who served with Stephens for 17 years, said Stephens worked tirelessly for his district.

“He was a very good commissioner and he accomplished a lot,” Grimsley said. “He was a good man and great to work with.”

Stephens also served on the board for the Southeast Alabama Regional Council on Aging (SARCOA) and did much to help senior citizens not only in this county, but in the six other counties covered by SARCOA as well.

“He was one of our longest and most supportive board members,” said Robert Crowder, executive director of SARCOA. “He was always looking for the common good in our region to see how we could serve the most people.”

On the commission, Stephens spearheaded an effort to expand the senior citizens centers in Coffee County, and Crowder said his support was crucial.

“Without his support, we wouldn’t have those senior centers,” Crowder said. “Under his leadership, (the Coffee County Commission) managed to get grants and get those locations.”

Crowder said Stephens and his fellow commissioners worked to make sure every dollar went as far as it could go, which helped Coffee County establish one of the best groups of senior citizen centers in the state.

“His love for senior citizens was very evident in the programs he brought to Coffee County, and he worked diligently through different agents to enhance (their) well being,” said Linda Westbrook, who served on the commission with Stephens. “I always listened to his opinion. He was a friend and he will be missed.”

Stephens is survived by his wife, Martha Frances Stephens; grandson, Willis Perry McArthur IV; son-in-law Willis Perry McArthur III; niece, Mary Ann Danford; niece- Johnni Andress and nephew, Billy Stephens.