Robert "Bobby" Boone, Jr.

Robert "Bobby" Boone, Jr. was a nurseryman and civic leader from Dothan, Alabama, best known as the longtime co-owner of Buds N' Blossoms Nursery & Landscaping, the oldest garden center in the city. He died on the night of Sunday, October 25, 2026, at a hospital in Dothan, at the age of 75.

Boone was born in Dothan and raised in nearby Geneva, Alabama, the son of Dr. Robert V. Boone, Sr. and Adelle Shute Boone. He graduated from Geneva High School, where he played football and was later inducted into the school's sports hall of fame, and went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Troy University.

In 1974, Boone and his wife Rhoda took over Buds N' Blossoms Nursery, which had been founded by Rhoda's parents, Elsie and Em Solomon. Over the following five decades the couple built the business into a fixture of the Wiregrass region of southeast Alabama, known for its plants, landscaping work and the personal relationships Bobby formed with generations of customers, employees and friends. In a statement announcing his death, the nursery said he had dedicated his life to the business, building not just a company but lasting relationships throughout the community.

Beyond the nursery, Boone was deeply involved in civic and church life in the Wiregrass area. He was a longtime member of Headland Methodist Church, where he served as chairman of the Administrative Board, and was an active participant in the Walk to Emmaus spiritual program. He served on the board of directors of the Dothan Rotary Club and the Wiregrass Rehab board, and was a past president of both the Headland Chamber of Commerce and the Headland Athletic Association. Friends and family also remembered him as an avid tennis player, an outdoorsman and a lover of music.

News of Boone's death prompted an outpouring of tributes from customers and community members across the Dothan and Wiregrass area, many of whom recalled decades of visiting Buds N' Blossoms and interacting with Boone personally. A memorial service is scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at Headland Methodist Church, with several local clergy officiating. His family has asked that memorial contributions be directed to Save A Pet Rescue, Adoption and Transport, a Dothan based animal rescue organization. No cause of death has been made public.