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Info provided by: Anita Webb

Coburn (Coby) Gray Webb

In Loving Memory
COBURN GRAY WEBB
January 10, 1923, March 11, 2015

Coburn (Coby) Gray Webb was born in Mulhall, Oklahoma on January 10, 1923 and moved to Tonkawa, Oklahoma in early childhood. Coby and his sister, Lois, and brother, Thiele, were raised in what Coby called an "idyllic" environment even though it was during the most difficult economic depression of our nation’s history. At one point, it became necessary for Coby to miss a semester of high school to care for the family herd of milk cows upon which they were dependent for income. Against his mother’s protests, Coby joined the U.S. Air Corps at age 18 and trained in Austin, Texas to become a fighter pilot with the intent to enter the fighting in World War II. The month he completed training the war ended and Coby joined Fleet Way Air as a Captain. Fleet Way held contracts with the U.S. government to retrieve U.S. air craft - of all sorts and sizes - which had been abandoned on both fronts of the war. These years of adventure allowed him to meet Winston Churchill, and Mickey Mantle as well as many other celebrities all of whom respected him for his role and occupation as much as he did them. He was able to spend time in Paris, Rome, Dubai, London, New York, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Venice, Trinidad, all of the South Pacific, and Iceland. Virtually no corner of the globe was left unexplored. He crash-landed five times, once on a river-bed in the Amazon. His passports were filled and renewed time after time after time... and through all of his extensive travel he shared with all he met his faithful love for Oklahoma.

During the 1970’s Coby (Colonel Webb) was employed by the U.S. government as a pilot in Vietnam for what became to be known as "Air America". The exploits of that job were eventually made famous by the 1990 movie starring Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr. (Which, he discounted as "horsesh*t", because “ it wasn’t as fun as all that!")

The 1980’s drew Coby to Gainesville, Florida as the chief pilot for the global engineering firm CHM2Hill where he was able to travel all of America and Canada exploring the most aggressive and impressive engineering feats of the world. He retired from flying in 1987 and remained in Gainesville. His love for his country, family and friends was the over-arching theme of his fantastic life.

Coby is preceded in death by his parents, Luther and Ruth Webb, and his sister and brother, Lois Layton and Thiele Webb and favorite aunt, Bessie Gray. He is survived by his beloved niece, Pat Patterson, of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, who lovingly cared for him in his last days; his cousin and best friend, Alan Webb and wife, Anita, of Edmond, Oklahoma; long-time family friend, Coby Snyder and his wife, Linda, of Billings, Oklahoma; and many Gainesville American Legion friends including J.J. Jones who is always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. J.J, was a good friend who visited Coby almost daily, and took over the care of Einstein, Coby’s dachshund.

You are missed Coby.
You were the most optimistic, kind, and loving person we've ever had the pleasure to know.
and you were truly THE "Most Interesting Man in the World."



Coby's Life, Love and Legacy

May 23, 2015 - Morris Heights Cemetery - Orlando, Okla.


Coburn Webb lived a life of travel, adventure and excitement. His stories were countless, the content always interesting, and his gift of storytelling beyond entertaining.

But, as we all know, it is our final days that are most meaningful to those left behind. Coby comforted those around him in his final days, as he talked about being ready for Heaven, and not afraid. He was happy that he had lived a long, full life, but knew there was more ahead than he could even fathom.

He spoke about angels, and that he had been blessed by having many angels in his lifetime - surviving several plane crashes and a shooting, among many other mishaps, were proof of that. He was sure that his angels in Heaven would be there to greet him when he arrived. His final act of caring for his loved ones was a promise to be an angel and watch over us.

However, with all of that peace, his final days were also a constant stirring of determination to get stronger, back on his feet, walking, and to make the drive back to Okla-homa one more time. With all of his travel, and years away, he still called Oklahoma home.

So, in April, his urn full of ashes were loaded in the back seat of an SUV, right next to his beloved Moses statue, and he made the trip one more time. His desire was to have his remains spread in the cemetery where his loved ones found their eternal rest, That is why today we gather for a simple “non-ceremony, “ in remembrance of his life, and in acknowledgement that he will live on in our hearts.

But those who trust in the Lord
will find new strength. They will
soar high on wind like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
- Isaiah 40:31








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