Jan Mobley, 83, died Tuesday, June 22, 2021 in Fort Smith of pulmonary fibrosis. He is now managing a theatre in Heaven with a new set of lungs where he can breathe freely. He was born May 1, 1938 and raised in Manila, Arkansas.
Jan worked for Pepsi-Cola out of Blytheville for 8 years. In 1975, he went to United Artist Theatres at Rialto in Morrilton, where he met his wife, Shirley Walker Mobley. Then he was transferred to Arkadelphia then to Fort Smith, where he managed the Phoenix Theatre, Minitek, Skyvue Drive-Inn and Mall Trio. Malco Theatre bought out United Artist in 1980; he worked for them for the next 40 years. Many considered him to be the face of Malco Theatres. Jan Jan the “show” man, he absolutely loved movies. As most all of his employees were teens, he was considered by many to be a surrogate father or uncle. He was a shining example of a kind, gentle and caring person. He will be sorely missed. Jan and Shirley traveled extensively throughout their marriage, exclusively looking for wildlife and enjoying nature’s beauty.
He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Shirley (Walker) Mobley; nephew, Dr. Ed Mobley III; great nephew, L.E. Mobley, IV; sister-in-law, Bert Mobley all of Pensacola, FL; his loving in-laws, Sally Walker Eicher of Branson, MO and Bill and Edith Walker of Hamilton, AL; nephews, Todd and Kevin Walker and niece, Kim Walker Thompson also of Hamilton, AL. He was preceded in death by his dad, L.E. Mobley, mother, Plesent Mobley and a brother, L.E. Mobley, Jr.
A celebration of life service will be held 11 a.m., Saturday, June 26 at the Greenwood United Methodist Church with burial at Gilliam Cemetery under the direction of McConnell Funeral Home of Greenwood. Viewing will be Friday from 1 – 7 p.m. at the funeral home, where the family will visit with fiends from 5 – 7 p.m.
Pallbearers will be Kyle Mainer, Justin Garton, Phillip Bunda and Herby Grizzle.
