Robert Smith (Bobby) Shackleford, Jr.

Brianna, born 1997

After high school, I attended Bluefield College, a junior college in Virginia, with Anthony Oakley and Carl Jones, and then transferred to a four-year college in Missouri on a basketball scholarship.

After college, I attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest and then spent 14 as a pastor in SC, NC, and WV before returning to grad school (UNCG) to get a Ph.D.

I taught at several universities before getting involved in the community college system in 1998 because I believed so fervently in its mission. After several positions in the community college system, I became president of Randolph Community College in Asheboro in January 2007.

I also served as a military chaplain for 22 1/2 years -- 7 years in the US Army Reserves and 15 1/2 years in the NC Air National Guard. That was a very interesting and fulfilling role -- visited troops in Germany and France, was the chaplain on call for two airplane crashes, and was called to duty in Washington DC to do counseling after the 9-11 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon. I retired from the military in January 2008.

I have two grown children, Kristi (age 35), Kori (age 32). My second wife, Teresa, and I have one young child, Will (age 7). I can only describe him this way: "Will is quite pleased with himself, and everyone else can just adjust!" I also have one beautiful granddaughter, Brianna, age 14.

Many, many wonderful memories of old friends, fun times, and special people.

One unique memory was a basketball game we were playing one night on our home court. During the first half, I was running full speed down the court trying to catch a player from the other team so I could come up behind him and block his layup. When he got to the basket, he slammed on breaks just as I jumped, so I flipped over him and crashed headfirst into the cinderblock wall. That is the last thing I remember until halftime, when I was sitting in the locker room listening to Coach Davis giving us instructions for the second half. He said we would start the second half with the same players that ended the first half -- and when he named them, I was among them! I went up to him and told him I was confused, didn't understand his instructions, and couldn't think straight at all. He graciously let me sit on the bench during the second half. Only the next day, watching the video of the game, did I realize that after the crash, I played the rest of the first half, and even scored six more points after the crash...and yet I have no recollection of it at all. I was unconscious!! And in fact, I spent the next two days in bed at home, and didn't recognize my own sisters when they brought food in to me!! Maybe THAT'S what's been wrong with me all of these years!!!!!

I loved my high school years and great friends like Anthony Oakley, Tommy Rogers, Larry Ray Newton, Billy Corbett, and many others.

I remember our 10th reunion. One of my old basketball buddies, Reid Marston, came up to me and said, "Hey, Shack, what are you doing now?" I said, "I'm a Baptist minister in Greensboro." He laughed and said, "Oh, c'mon man, you can tell ME! What are you doing...really?!?!"

Many other wonderful memories -- basketball games, sock hops, Mrs. Gilliland helping so many of us figure out how and where to go to college, Coach Davis' antics (he's mellowed now!!), listening to Rod McKuen records in the library during study hall, and many, many more!

I suppose I'll end this school section with something that happened at 8:00 in the morning the first day of the first year of high school in the fall of 1965. I walked into Mrs. Nichols' Latin class. She introduced herself and said she was going to tell us something and write it on the board, and no matter how long we lived, we would always remember it. And she's right. I remember it word for word to this very day, 43 1/2 years later. She said, "Latin is not an easy subject, but if you study your lesson every day and are not afraid to ask the teacher to explain to you what you do not understand, you will find that it is both delightful and useful."

I hope you are all doing well. Take care.