Winford Roebuck Obituary

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Winford Leon Roebuck, 83, passed away peacefully from this Earth to his eternal home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on April 3, 2026 (Good Friday) with his loving wife, Judy, by his side.

Born on August 22, 1942 in Zama, Mississippi, Leon was the son of the late Winford Collins Roebuck and Annie Wardine Roebuck. Leon attended school at Zion and Arlington. He attended Arlington High School from 1957-1958 and Edinburg High School from 1959-1960. Leon married the love of his life, Judy Black Roebuck, on November 4, 1961 and attended Hinds Junior College from 1967-1969.

Leon served in the Mississippi National Guard for 9 years after completing basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He was spared being deployed to Vietnam at the last minute because his unit was the only riot-certified unit in Mississippi and was activated for service at home during those turbulent times.

After marriage, Leon worked for First National Bank in Jackson, MS and then AMBAC in Columbus, MS. He and Judy later moved back to Jackson, MS, where he worked for Southern Farm Bureau. He was a programmer there and was tasked with writing the first program to combine two databases to bill customers. It was the first of its kind and worked so well that IBM offered to buy it from Farm Bureau. Leon ultimately became the Data Processing Manager at the South Carolina Farm Bureau. The family moved to Lexington, South Carolina December 31, 1976, to a new home where Judy still resides.

Tony, his son, started mowing lawns in the summer of 1984. Leon helped after work hours and decided to place an add in the Carolina Trader to increase business. Two weeks later, it had to be removed after acquiring 20 customers. The business grew with the two of them, and Leon retired in 1988 to work for himself full time.

Leon was born the son of a sharecropper and grew up with almost nothing. The house they lived in had spaces between the boards so big that the wind could be felt, and chickens and dogs could be seen walking under the house. They did not have running water or electricity until he was almost a teenager. As a child, his family drove to town on a horse and wagon.

Being outside was always a part of his life. He loved to hunt and fish and he loved working outside, especially when customers had blueberry bushes. They were his favorite. He would rarely stop working until a job was finished. However, if there was a blueberry bush around, you could see him with a handful of them in the shade.

Doing the highest quality work for a fair price was Leon's guiding standard. As a result, he never had to look for business. He also retained many of his customers for nearly 40 years. They became like family. As a shrewd business owner, Leon attempted to expand the business in the early days but quickly learned that others did not take the same level of pride in their work that he did. He ultimately decided to keep the business small, employing his son, who started the business, and his grandson. With a small crew that took pride in its work, they were able to earn 44 "Yard of the Month" awards all over the greater Columbia area. Leon retired after nearly 40 years in the business, leaving it to his son and grandson. He also helped nearly a dozen people start their own lawn services and landscaping companies.

Faith in God was a central focus of Leon's life since his salvation. Leon helped start and grow several churches, served as a deacon, and taught Sunday School He talked about his faith confidently and often. On his last day on this Earth (Maundy Thursday), he witnessed to every person who came into the hospital room. Even though his broken leg was healing well, he told his faithful and loving wife, Judy, that he would be waiting for her on the other side.

Leon is survived by his wife, Judy; daughter, Leahan (Kyle) Doar; son, Tony Roebuck; and five grandchildren, Will Roebuck, Ashton (Andy) Hoffmann, Collin Roebuck, Nathan Doar, and Faith (Zach) McKinney. He was predeceased by his brother, Billy Wayne Roebuck.

Leon loved people but was a private man. The family and a few close friends will gather for a small dinner and time of fellowship in his honor to fulfill his final wishes.