Robert . (Bobby) Hayes Cleveland Jr.

     Robert Hayes Cleveland Jr. (Bobby), devoted husband, stepfather, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend to so many, died Thursday, April 28, 2022, as a result of injuries suffered in an automobile accident. He was 67.

      Bobby was a native of Hattiesburg and a long-time resident of the Barnett Reservoir (The Rez) community.
A memorial service will be held Thursday morning at 10:30 at Lakeshore Park on the shores of The Rez. A reception will follow immediately at Kathryn’s Steakhouse and Seafood Restaurant on Old Canton Road in nearby Ridgeland.

     Bobby was an avid outdoorsman, a highly respected journalist, and, quite frankly, a much-beloved character. For years, his outdoor columns and features in the Jackson Clarion Ledger were much like a hunting and fishing bible to Mississippians. His articles also were published in regional and national outdoors magazines. Bobby also designed Sunday sports sections that won numerous national sports journalism awards.

     More recently he worked for the Barnett Reservoir and Pearl River Valley Supply District as a publicist and event coordinator. 

     Bobby was an expert hunter and fisherman and a huge fan of nearly all sports, especially those involving the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Braves and Southern Miss. He also was a faithful attendee of any sports event that involved his grandsons, Cooper and Bo Purvis, who lovingly called Bobby “Boboo.”

     Bobby loved telling stories and he loved good storytellers. He loved a good joke and knew how to tell one – or 50.  He loved to cook and his gumbo and grilling expertise will be missed by all lucky enough to have sampled his cooking.

     He was preceded in death by his father Robert Hayes Cleveland, Sr. (Ace), a Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer, and his mother, Carrie Alene Cleveland.
Survivors include his beloved wife Pam Cleveland, his brother Rick Cleveland (Liz), stepson Kenner Purvis (Lane), nephew Tyler Hayes Cleveland, niece Anna Kay Cleveland, and grandsons Cooper and Bo.

     In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ace and Carrie Cleveland Endowment at Southern Miss (PO Box 15458, Hattiesburg, MS), the Barnett Reservoir Foundation (P.O. Box 2180 Ridgeland, MS 39158), or the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum (1152 Lakeland Drive, Jackson MS 39216).

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