Bob grew up in Oak Park, Illinois. He graduated from Hinsdale Central High School in 1975, Texas Christian University in 1979 (B.A. in Religion and History) and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with an M.Div in 1983.

After graduating from Seminary, Bob and family moved to Paint Rock, Texas. He was pastor of the First Baptist Church of Paint Rocky from September of 1983 until February of 1986. Accepting a call from the Calvary Baptist Church, the James Gang moved to Corpus Christi in February of 1986.

Bob was the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church from February of 1986 until November of 1990. He left pastoring full-time in order to devote more time to pastoring The Corpus Christi Baptist Deaf Church as a bi-vocational pastor. In order to support himself, he opened up an indoor miniature golf course called "The Master's Mini Golf." He knew he was underfunded, but took the shot anyway.

It failed miserably! (hey, we're still paying off the debts!) Nevertheless, subsisting on Lucy's earnings as an interpreter for the deaf, the James Gang eked out a living. During the summer, Bob taught Bible in the Intensive English Program (IEP) at Presbyterian Pan American School in Kingsville, Texas. Teaching during the IEP was such an enjoyable experience, Bob looked at teaching as a career.

Bob began working for the Corpus Christi Independent School District as an Interpreter for the Deaf at Hamlin Middle School during the 1991-92 School Year. He entered the Alternative Certification Program the next year and taught Special Education-Resource Classes at Hamlin from that time until January of 1998. In January, 1998 he began a special one-on-one assignment working with a child with CHARGE syndrome.  He began coaching football and track during the 96-97 school year, and then started working with the chess team in the middle of that year. He has since begun work at Mary Grett School and coaches Chess at Chula Vista Academy of Fine Arts. He also takes a limited number of private students.
 

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