Robert Douglas (Bob) Cheyne

Robert Douglas (Bob) Cheyne, 86, of Bentonville, Ark., passed away peacefully surrounded by family from complications from pneumonia on Saturday, March 15, 2014 in the palliative care unit at the Fayetteville Veteran's Medical Center. Bob was born March 23, 1927, in Detroit, Mich. to James Garrick and Dorothy Stanley Cheyne. Both of his parents were captains in the Salvation Army and later, officers with the USO Clubs in Fayetteville, N.C.; Anniston, Ala.; and Little Rock, Ark. The fourth of seven children (an eighth brother died shortly after birth), Bob and his family moved to Chicago soon after he was born and resided there until 1942. As a high school student, his family moved to Little Rock where his parents began a 17 year career as USO directors. Bob attended Little Rock Central High School. He met the love of his life, Jennie Wiseman, who attended rival North Little Rock High at a USO function. After graduating and joining the Navy in 1944, he and Jennie married on June 16, 1945. They shared 60 years together before Jennie left this earthly home for her home in heaven on Aug. 28, 2005. After his honorable discharge from the Navy at the end of World War II, where he served as an aviation radioman, he and Jennie lived in Anniston, Ala. for a short time. Soon after the birth of their first child in 1946, Bob was admitted to the University of Arkansas to pursue degrees in journalism and history-the two areas of interest that he truly loved. He and Jennie and their five month-old daughter settled in Fayetteville in 1947 where their two sons were born. While attending the university, Bob served as sports editor for the Northwest Arkansas Times covering Fayetteville High School and Razorback events. In June of 1948, he became the U of A's first Sports Information Director (titled Publicity Director at the time). He served in that position for 22 years. During his tenure with the Razorback Athletic Department, Bob laid the groundwork for those who followed him in later years. He compiled the first complete record of all lettermen, scores and individual records dating back to 1894 (on the 60th anniversary of Razorback football, he located the three surviving members of that 1894 team and had them honored at the Homecoming game). With information gathered, he published 113 Razorback brochures over a 22 year period and was awarded National Collegiate Media Guide for eight years. While covering nearly 900 Razorback sporting events, Bob served with an array of athletic department leaders including John Barnhill, Otis Douglas, Bowden Wyatt, Jack Mitchell, and Frank Broyles. In 1950 Bob and his wife, Jennie, traveled to radio stations all over the state to begin setting up what became known as the University of Arkansas Radio Sports Network. This eventually grew to over 107 stations in seven states by the 1964 football championship. After serving for 11 years with the title of director and broadcast-analyst, he became the first play-by-play "Voice of the Razorbacks" in both football and basketball. He was named Arkansas Sportscaster of the year six years by the National Association of Sportscasters. Bob also served for 18 years as director of the U of A annual Track Relays. In the 1950's he initiated the first celebration of "Dad's Day" during the Razorback football season. In 1954, he helped to found the College Sports Information Association and was a member of its first executive committee as well as serving as chairman of the NCAA Public Relations Committee. Bob's favorite memories of his years with the Razorbacks were all of the athletes who touched his life. They all had a special place in his heart and it was no secret that he could quote from memory each of their uniform numbers and individual player stats. He was so honored when these special players from his past elected him to their Razorback Hall of Honor- it was his proudest Razorback memory. Bob and Jennie moved to Bentonville in 1969 where for 15 years he worked with Cooper Communities as director of advertising and public relations. He edited publications for Bella Vista Village, Cherokee Village and Hot Springs Village. He also directed the National Football Coaches Golf Tournaments. In 1977, he and John Cooper Jr. established the Cheyne/ Cooper & Associates advertising agency. In 1985, at the invitation of longtime friend Sam Walton, Bob became the first corporate marketing director for the newly developed Sam's Club division of Wal-Mart. He became vice-president of marketing in 1987. After retiring in 1997, he was invited to radio station KBVA-FM (106.5) as a senior account executive. This was a position he loved because of the people he worked with and the many wonderful clients he became acquainted with over the years. He again retired in December of 2012. Bob was a member of First United Methodist Church in Bentonville where he taught a Sunday school class and sang in the choir for many years. He truly loved both of these services and treasured the friendships that he and Jennie shared with so many wonderful friends. He was honored to serve his church as a Lay Delegate to General Conference as well as a Lay leader for the state of Arkansas. At the community level, he served as president of Fayetteville Lions Club and was a District Governor as well as a Lions International Counselor. During his years in Bentonville, Bob served on the Chamber of Commerce Board, the Benton County Razorback Club, and broadcasted Bentonville High School football. He was honored with the Arthur "Rabbit" Dickerson award for community service. He also served on the Board of Trustees of Northwest Arkansas Community College and was appointed to two terms on the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Jennie; his parents; two brothers, Don of Jacksonville, Ala. and Jim Jr. of Ft. Smith, Ark.; and two sisters, Dorothy (Mrs. Jim) Wilkins of Little Rock, Ark. and Edith (Mrs. Don) Ficken of Fort Morgan, Colo. He is survived by a daughter, Cathy Deweese, and husband, Tommy of Fayetteville, Ark.; sons, Robert Cheyne Jr. and wife, Sharon, of New Market, Ala., Gary Cheyne and wife, Rhonda, of Kernersville, N.C.; seven grandchildren, Lindsay Williams (Kendall) of Fayetteville, Hunter Deweese (Leanne) of Fayetteville, Mandy Lewis (Josh) of Kernersville, Stephanie Morris (Dave) of Winston-Salam, N.C., Amy Preddy (Randall), of Kernersville, Bobby Cheyne III (Andrea) of Owens Crossroads, Ala. and Scott Cheyne (Ashley) of New Market, Ala. He is also survived by 12 great-grandchildren, Ginny, Sydney and Kinley Williams of Fayetteville, Holden and John Grady Deweese also of Fayetteville, Kaylin and Jaxon Lewis and Dylan Preddy of Kernersville, Bryson Morris of Winson-Salem, Reece and Trent Cheyne of Owens Crossroads and Bentley Cheyne of New Market; two brothers, Rev. Bill Cheyne (Earline) of Van Buren, Ark. and the Rev. Dr. John Cheyne (Marie) of Richmond, Va.; and brother-in-law, Don Ficken of Evans, Colo. The rest of the Cheyne/Wiseman family includes numerous nieces and nephews who share so many treasured memories. Also left to treasure memories are friends and caregivers who not only meant so much to Bob, but to his entire family. A special thank you from the family goes to Florence "Mickey" Moore , her son-in-law Jody Hunt, and their whole family in Farmington who have cared for Daddy the last months of his life. Thanks as well to the staff of the VA Medical Center in Fayetteville and especially to those in the Palliative Care Unit for their loving care of our Dad (Papaw) during his final journey in life. A visitation will be from 5-7 p.m., Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at Stockdale-Moody Funeral Services in Rogers. A celebration of his life will be at 1 p.m., Thursday, March 20, 2014 at First United Methodist Church in Bentonville with the Rev. Rex Dickey and the Rev. Bill Cheyne officiating. Private burial will be in Bentonville Cemetery. The family request that memorials be made to the First United Methodist Church, 201 NW 2nd Street, Bentonville, Ark. 72712 for the maintenance of the Jennie Cheyne Memorial Garden. Arrangements have been entrusted to Stockdale-Moody Funeral Services of Rogers. Words of comfort may be expressed at stockdalefuneral.com.