NEED TO KNOW

• Bob Tebow, father of Heisman winner Tim Tebow, died Thursday night at 78
• He founded the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association in 1985 and served in the Philippines
• Tim Tebow announced the death Friday on social media

JACKSONVILLE, FL (TDR) — Bob Tebow, Baptist missionary and father of Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, died Thursday night at 78 after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's disease.

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The big picture: Bob Tebow was a patriarch of one of Jacksonville's most prominent families, a longtime missionary to the Philippines, and the founder of an evangelistic organization that shaped the region's faith community for four decades.

• Met his wife Pam at the University of Florida, where he also helped launch Campus Crusade for Christ
• Moved his family of six to Mindanao, Philippines in October 1985 to serve as missionaries
• Father of five children — Christy, Katie, Robby, Peter and Tim — homeschooled alongside his wife Pam

Driving the news: Tim Tebow announced his father's death on social media Friday, confirming that Bob died Thursday evening.

• Bob Tebow publicly disclosed his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2016 through a People magazine interview
• He had recently been confined to a wheelchair, according to Kevin Brockway of the Gainesville Sun
• He is survived by his wife Pam, his five children, and his grandchildren

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What they're saying: Tim Tebow's statement framed his father's death as a homecoming rather than a loss, a theme echoed across the family's ministry community.

• Tim Tebow, Son — "Heaven ushered in a hero of the faith last night as my Dad was welcomed home."
• Tim Tebow, Son — "I asked him last week what he looked forward to most about Heaven, and he simply said, 'Jesus.'"
• Bob Tebow, in a 2019 Ponte Vedra Recorder interview — "I don't need to be proud. I'm just a servant."

The full picture: Bob Tebow's life story is inseparable from his faith work, and his health decline unfolded over nearly a decade even as his ministry continued to expand under family leadership.

• Returned to the Philippines for mission work after his diagnosis, despite his illness
• Tim Tebow took over primary work of the BTEA from his parents last year
• Family previously disclosed Pam's decision to continue Tim's pregnancy against medical advice in Mindanao

What it meant: His legacy runs through both his organization's mission infrastructure and the public faith witness of his youngest son.

• BTEA employs Filipino evangelists assigned to specific regions across the country
• Organization founded Uncle Dick's Home, a Christian orphanage in the Philippines, in 1992
• Tim Tebow's on-field prayer posture — "Tebowing" — became a cultural phenomenon rooted in the faith his parents modeled

What's next:

• Funeral and memorial service details have not yet been publicly announced
• The Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association continues operations under family leadership
• Tim Tebow's foundation and BTEA mission trips to the Philippines remain on schedule for 2026

Sources

This report was compiled using information from Fox News, Bleacher Report, News4Jax, official statements by the Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association, and reporting by First Coast News

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