Mr. Robert Leon “Bobby” Dillard Jr., age 56, of Dalton, Georgia, departed this life September 21, 2013 at Hamilton Medical Center.  Bobby was known to his friends as “Magic”.  Bobby was born August 14, 1957 in Dalton, Georgia.  Bobby was Duck Dynasty cool before Duck Dynasty was cool.  He loved to work on old Volkswagens and rebuilt a Volkswagen from the ground up and he called it “Black Magic”. He loved to watch the Atlanta Braves, NASCAR and old whiney country music. He was a member of the New Zion Hill Baptist Church. 

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Virgil and Magdeline Brock, Earl and Pauline Dillard and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, J.B. and Claire Dyer.

He is survived by his loving wife of twenty years, Ellen Dyer Dillard of the home; father and mother, R.L and Pauline “Cricket” Dillard of Dalton, GA; son and daughter-in-law, Anthony and Renae Dillard of Resaca, GA; daughter and son-in-law, Felicia and Lofti Dorgham of Charlotte, NC; grandchildren, Mahdi, Suhail, Salwa and Muna Dorgham, Nathan and Alyssa Duvall and Lauren Smith; brother and sister-in-law, Bradley and Kelly Dillard of Armuchee, GA; sisters and brothers-in-law, Brenda and Mickey Hall of Ellijay, GA, Beverly and Alan Rogers of Dalton, GA; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Bruce and Lisa Dyer, Wayne and Sheila Dyer, Chris Dyer all of Dalton, GA; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. 

Services to celebrate the life of Mr. Robert Leon "Bobby" Dillard, Jr. will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Ponders Melrose Chapel with the Rev. Paul Armstrong officiating.  Music will be arranged by the Rev. Gordon DeLashmitt.  He will be laid to rest at Brock Cemetery at Pine Grove with Bruce Dyer, Dustin Dyer, Larry Gilbert, Alan Rogers, Roger McCurdy and Virgil Duncan serving as pallbearers.

The family will receive friends at Ponders Melrose Chapel from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and after 9 a.m. Wednesday until the service hour.

Arrangements are by Ponders Melrose Chapel, 138 Melrose Drive, Dalton: (706) 226-4002.

(The Daily Citizen:  Monday, September 23, 2013, P6A)