Robert Orr Hicks

Renowned Florida folk singer and songwriter, Robert Orr"Bobby" Hicks, 54, Tampa died Wednesday, December 19, 2007, following a short illness. Descended from a pioneer family of the Tampa Bay area, Bobby was born in Tampa on September 4, 1953. He was preceded in death by his beloved mother, Dorothy "Dot" Hicks, and his brother, Ricky Hicks. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Gini Hicks, Tampa, and a son, Dawson Hicks, who was the light of his life, Tampa. A sister, Patty, and a brother, George, also survive. Bobby proudly served his nation in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He loved God, his family, the United States of America, and the state of Florida. He loved traveling the backroads of this beloved "Land of Flowers" and "taking in" the essence of a Florida that is passing away by "feet" not "inches" each and every day. An avid outdoorsman, Bobby loved hunting and fishing and spent as much time as he could doing both. He loved hunting with his friends, Johnny, Jerry Lawrence, and Rhett Bullard, White Springs, on their properties in Hamilton and Columbia counties in northern Florida and spending time at their family camp--the "Health Club" north of White Springs. In recent years, many pleasant evenings were spent on the front porch at the Health Club with friends such as Frank Thomas, the Dean of Florida, Folk Music, Lake Wales, Jimmy Carrick, St. Augustine, Stuart Pacetti, St. Augustine, Ken Buchanan, Loxahatchee, as well as the Bullard Brothers--Johnny and Jerry Lawrence and son, Dawson, visiting, laughing, making music, and "telling tales"--often until the wee hours of the