Robert “Bob” “Maj” Majors

Robert “Bob” “Maj” Majors

Mount Vernon

Robert “Bob” “Maj” Majors, 88, passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2023, at home in Mount Vernon, Iowa, surrounded by family.

Graveside Service: Saturday, May 11, 2024, at 1 p.m., at Mount Vernon Cemetery. Reception information TBD and will be posted at stewartbaxter.com.

Bob Majors was born and raised in Omaha, Neb., the son of Charles and Sylvia (Widows) Majors. He graduated from Omaha North High in 1953. While there, he earned varsity letters in football, wrestling, and baseball. Bob was a varsity letter winner in wrestling throughout his four-year high school career and won state titles as a junior and senior.

He went to Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, where he won three Mid-West Conference Wrestling Championships and qualified for the NCAA Wrestling Championships all three years.

He won the Nebraska AAU Wrestling Championship in 1954 and was named the Omaha/Council Bluffs area outstanding collegiate wrestler in 1955. He was elected outstanding wrestler in his senior year at Cornell and served as President of the school's Letterman's Club.

After graduating from Cornell in 1957, Bob secured a teaching and coaching position at Sweet Home, Ore., Union High School, where he served as an assistant football and baseball coach and head wrestling coach. His Sweet Home Huskies wrestling teams won the all school state wrestling championship in 1958 and were runner-up in 1959.

While at Sweet Home Bob developed a boy’s wrestling program at the local area elementary school level which caught on in popularity and rapidly spread throughout the state.

Bob moved to Portland as head wrestling coach at David Douglas, and earned two state titles in five years and 13 state champions. He was the first coach in Oregon's history to win state wrestling championships at two different high schools. During his five years of active coaching his teams compiled a 72-9 dual meet record. Several of his wrestlers went on to forge outstanding wrestling careers at the collegiate level and two earned All American status in the NCAA Championships.

Bob served as President of Oregon's Wrestling Coaches Association in 1960-61 and President of the Portland Wrestling Officials Association from 1959-61. He also served as the head wrestling clinician at the University of Oregon's summer sports camps in 1959, 1960, and 1961.

Bob left Oregon and his career as a teacher and coach and returned to Iowa in 1962. He never lost interest in wrestling; as a matter in fact, he started the youth wrestling program in Mount Vernon, and eventually served more than 30 consecutive years as a volunteer wrestling coach.

Bob's coaching philosophy included sound wrestling fundamentals, staying current with and teaching new wrestling- techniques, superior conditioning, and his own total commitment to his athletes to help them attain their highest personal level of success. He also believed strongly in promoting and supporting aggressive, but responsible team member leadership.

In spite of space limitations he never closed the door on any boy who wanted to wrestle, and was willing to pay the price required in daily practice sessions. Bob also believed it was imperative to involve parents, family, and friends of his athletes in the program as much as possible. Bob has been a member of his alma mater's administrative staff since 1966 and was the institution's Director of Planned Giving.

He and his wife, Jan, both widowed in the past, were married in 1978. In 1992, Bob was inducted into the Cornell College Athletics Hall of Fame.

Bob is survived by his wife, Janice; sons, Randy (Kari) Majors and Raymond (Ruth) Majors; six grandchildren, Ryan (Tasha) Whitman, Karissa (Brad) Walker, Jordyn Majors, Luke Majors, Kendra (Jon) Wolff, and Mikayla Whitman; great-grandchildren, Adalynn Whitman, Mia Whitman, Charlie Walker, and Emmett Walker; sister-in-law, Shelly Majors; stepsons, Kevin (Becky) Whitman and Brad (JeRita) Whitman.

He was preceded in death by his parents, first wife, Nancy; brothers, Ralph and Roy Majors; and son, Royce Majors.

Memorials may be made to the Mount Vernon Wrestling Club.

Please share your support and memories with Bob’s family on his Tribute Wall at www.stewartbaxter.com under Obituaries.