Bobbie
Bobbie Lincoln Nobles
d. January 2, 2017
Bobbie Lincoln Nobles born 13 September 1932 in Bernalillo, NM
Parents: Garrett Lawrence Nobles, father
Cordilia Altha Leeper (Nobles), mother
14 siblings
Family left New Mexico in 1941 and travelled for few years as migrant farm workers before settling in permanent home in California.
Graduated from Freemont HS in Sunnyvale, CA in 1950.
Volunteered for the USAF in 1951 and after basic training became a private.
Completed Technical school and became clerk typist eventually became a buck sergeant after only 9 months.
In 1953 he applied for flying school and attended Aviation Cadet classes to become a pilot and became a 2nd Lt in the USAF.
Bobbie and Claudia Boone were married in 1957. Claudia passed away in 2010 after 52 years of their marriage.
His career included being a fighter pilot and was assigned to the European theater (England and Germany). He returned stateside in 1963 to Oxnard AFB, CA through 1968 where he flew the F-101. His first combat tour was to Thailand and Vietnam in 1969 then after a brief assignment to Keesler AFB, MI, he did a second combat tour in Vietnam in 1972 where served as adviser to the Vietnamese Air Force in the Delta, IV Corps.
During this assignment Bobbie made lifelong friends with his Vietnamese counterparts.
Once more he returned to the states to Hamilton AFB, CA then retiring to Albuquerque to attend UNM and obtain a degree in History.
Concerned about the situation and his Vietnamese friends in 1975 when Saigon fell to the communists, Bobbie began working in the Refugee Resettlement program from 1975-1978.
He worked tirelessly to locate his former Vietnamese counterparts, and was hired as the Deputy Director of the NM Indo-China Refugee Resettlement Program (NMIRRP). Over 18 months, 1500 Vietnamese, Lao, and Cambodian refugees were settled in NM. The program had its ups and downs.
From 1978-1989 Bobbie began playing soccer with his son's soccer team. He continued to play soccer until age 69. He tried his hand at selling insurance for about 3 years but was not for him.
In 1975 he worked helping retirees prepare their taxes as a volunteer. By 1985 Bobbie took over a tax preparation business from a friend and established his own business, Nobles Tax Service. His wife Claudia was his able assistant in this business.
But finally in 1989 after continuing volunteer work with refugees, he was asked to run the non-profit resettlement program, New Mexico Mutual Assistance Association. Bobbie felt fortunate to work with the refugees as Program Director of the NMMAA from 1989-1996 in conjunction with Catholic Social Services. Claudia and Bobbie personally sponsored 39 refugees during his 22 years of refugee work.
He found {in his own words} that the Vietnamese (with few exceptions) were a highly reliable work force and were very community minded. They had a great work attitude and exhibited due diligence.
Bobbie helped to found the Asian American Association of New Mexico in 1998.
He found being a volunteer with this association fun and rewarding.
Bobbie is survived by his son, David Garret (wife, Sherry) of Rio Rancho; six of his siblings also survive him; as do numerous nieces and nephews.
Bobbie served on the Boards of APS Cultural Diversity Task Force, The Coalition for Multilingual Services, The Kellogg Project, and the Community Health Partnership.
His Civic Awards:
Profile of Courage Award by the Vietnam Veterans of America, NM State Council 1998
Miguel Trujillo Unsung Hero Award by the Albuquerque Human Rights Board 2002
Asian Stamp for Contributions in the Community by US Postal Service, Albuq. Dist. 2008
Albuquerque Senior Hall of Fame inductee by Silver Horizons Foundation 2010
Bobbie died January 2, 2017
He served his country well and led a life of selfless volunteer service.
He will be sorely missed by his family and friends.
Visitation will be Saturday, January 14, 2017 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. with Services on Sunday, January 15th, 1:00 p.m. at FRENCH - University. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bobbie's honor to the Asian American Association of NM online at http://aaanm.us/
Parents: Garrett Lawrence Nobles, father
Cordilia Altha Leeper (Nobles), mother
14 siblings
Family left New Mexico in 1941 and travelled for few years as migrant farm workers before settling in permanent home in California.
Graduated from Freemont HS in Sunnyvale, CA in 1950.
Volunteered for the USAF in 1951 and after basic training became a private.
Completed Technical school and became clerk typist eventually became a buck sergeant after only 9 months.
In 1953 he applied for flying school and attended Aviation Cadet classes to become a pilot and became a 2nd Lt in the USAF.
Bobbie and Claudia Boone were married in 1957. Claudia passed away in 2010 after 52 years of their marriage.
His career included being a fighter pilot and was assigned to the European theater (England and Germany). He returned stateside in 1963 to Oxnard AFB, CA through 1968 where he flew the F-101. His first combat tour was to Thailand and Vietnam in 1969 then after a brief assignment to Keesler AFB, MI, he did a second combat tour in Vietnam in 1972 where served as adviser to the Vietnamese Air Force in the Delta, IV Corps.
During this assignment Bobbie made lifelong friends with his Vietnamese counterparts.
Once more he returned to the states to Hamilton AFB, CA then retiring to Albuquerque to attend UNM and obtain a degree in History.
Concerned about the situation and his Vietnamese friends in 1975 when Saigon fell to the communists, Bobbie began working in the Refugee Resettlement program from 1975-1978.
He worked tirelessly to locate his former Vietnamese counterparts, and was hired as the Deputy Director of the NM Indo-China Refugee Resettlement Program (NMIRRP). Over 18 months, 1500 Vietnamese, Lao, and Cambodian refugees were settled in NM. The program had its ups and downs.
From 1978-1989 Bobbie began playing soccer with his son's soccer team. He continued to play soccer until age 69. He tried his hand at selling insurance for about 3 years but was not for him.
In 1975 he worked helping retirees prepare their taxes as a volunteer. By 1985 Bobbie took over a tax preparation business from a friend and established his own business, Nobles Tax Service. His wife Claudia was his able assistant in this business.
But finally in 1989 after continuing volunteer work with refugees, he was asked to run the non-profit resettlement program, New Mexico Mutual Assistance Association. Bobbie felt fortunate to work with the refugees as Program Director of the NMMAA from 1989-1996 in conjunction with Catholic Social Services. Claudia and Bobbie personally sponsored 39 refugees during his 22 years of refugee work.
He found {in his own words} that the Vietnamese (with few exceptions) were a highly reliable work force and were very community minded. They had a great work attitude and exhibited due diligence.
Bobbie helped to found the Asian American Association of New Mexico in 1998.
He found being a volunteer with this association fun and rewarding.
Bobbie is survived by his son, David Garret (wife, Sherry) of Rio Rancho; six of his siblings also survive him; as do numerous nieces and nephews.
Bobbie served on the Boards of APS Cultural Diversity Task Force, The Coalition for Multilingual Services, The Kellogg Project, and the Community Health Partnership.
His Civic Awards:
Profile of Courage Award by the Vietnam Veterans of America, NM State Council 1998
Miguel Trujillo Unsung Hero Award by the Albuquerque Human Rights Board 2002
Asian Stamp for Contributions in the Community by US Postal Service, Albuq. Dist. 2008
Albuquerque Senior Hall of Fame inductee by Silver Horizons Foundation 2010
Bobbie died January 2, 2017
He served his country well and led a life of selfless volunteer service.
He will be sorely missed by his family and friends.
Visitation will be Saturday, January 14, 2017 from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. with Services on Sunday, January 15th, 1:00 p.m. at FRENCH - University. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bobbie's honor to the Asian American Association of NM online at http://aaanm.us/
Visitation Details
Saturday, January 14th, 2017, 4:00pm - 8:00pm, FRENCH - University
Service Details
Sunday, January 15th, 2017, 1:00pm, FRENCH - University
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