Robert “Bob” Fillingham

Robert Allen Fillingham, of St. Petersburg, Florida, who was known to all as Bob, passed away on July 5, 2026, at the age of 91, surrounded by the love of his family and many dear friends.

Born on December 29, 1934, in Flint, Michigan, Bob was the only son of Stewart and Harriett Fillingham of Flint, Michigan, and later Ocala, Florida.

Bob is survived by his devoted loving wife of 38 years, Sharlet K. Fillingham; his sons, Robert S. Fillingham, Steven M. Fillingham, and Daniel N. Fillingham; his sister, Janet Anthony, and brother-in-law, Jerry Anthony; and his six cherished grandchildren: Larissa L. Fillingham, Kaylan M. Fillingham, Robert R. Fillingham, Carey S. Fillingham, Goldie M. Esparza, and Thomas R. Fillingham.

Even during the hardships of the Great Depression, Bob embraced life with enthusiasm. At Mandeville High School, he lettered in basketball, baseball, and football, played trumpet in the school band, and even wrote the school's cheer — which, naturally, included the words "fight, fight, fight." That fighting spirit would define him throughout his life. During his Air Force years, he even competed in Golden Gloves boxing, although he was always quick to admit he wasn't especially successful at it.

Bob's lifelong love of boating began at just 16 years old when he worked as a busboy aboard the Georgian Bay Line's S.S. South American, a Great Lakes passenger ship traveling between Buffalo, Cleveland, and Detroit. Under the guidance of Chief Steward Cyril Green, Bob learned far more than food service. Mr. Green became a lifelong mentor, teaching him the importance of professionalism, gracious hospitality, and attention to detail. Throughout his life, Bob often credited Mr. Green for shaping the way he treated people. Whether welcoming guests aboard a boat or helping Sharlet set a beautiful dinner table, Bob never forgot those early lessons. He often reminded others that you never know how much of a difference you can make in the life of a young person.

At 17, during the Korean War, Bob joined the United States Air Force. Following Boot Camp at Lackland Air Force Base, he attended Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, where his exceptional aptitude for electronics quickly became apparent. After completing numerous advanced technical and leadership courses, Bob remained stateside as an instructor, teaching advanced electronics, radar systems, and specializing in avionics to new Air Force enlistees. He was honorably discharged as an Airman First Class before continuing his service in the Air Force Reserve.

Following his military service, Bob moved to El Camino, California, where he attended Long Beach State College under the GI Bill while working nights operating UNIVAC's massive computer systems and raising two young sons with his first wife, Norma G. Fillingham. A few years later, while launching a new business venture, Medco Electronic Distributors in Melbourne, Florida, Bob and Norma welcomed their third son.

As Bob's family grew, so did his appreciation for the importance of family and lifelong friendships. Having grown up during the Great Depression, he learned the values of perseverance, loyalty, and taking care of those you love. Whenever a family member faced a challenge, Bob was the one everyone turned to. He had a remarkable ability to find solutions, offer encouragement, and bring people together, always strengthening the family along the way.

Those values remained with him throughout his life. His final words to his oldest son were, "Take care of the family." They reflected the principle that guided Bob's life, not only his devotion to his family, but also the way he cared for his friends. To Bob, the people he loved were family, and he was always there when they needed him.

Throughout his early career, Bob held engineering, sales, marketing, and executive positions while pursuing numerous entrepreneurial ventures in Denver, Colorado; Melbourne, Florida; and Rochester, New York. His ventures included plated wire memory technology, floppy disk manufacturing, electronic representative distributorships, oil and gas exploration, and uranium mining.

In 1977, Bob founded Greenwood Oil, Inc. in Denver, Colorado, taking the company public through a NASDAQ IPO. The company would later evolve into New London Oil L.P. and be listed on the United Kingdom Stock Exchange.

During the difficult oil market collapse of the 1980s, Bob demonstrated the resilience and creativity that became hallmarks of his career. As quoted in The Denver Post, he observed that oil prices had fallen so dramatically that "it's cheaper to buy existing proven reserves than explore for new ones." Rather than surrender to an industry in decline, Bob found innovative ways to adapt. The Denver Post described Greenwood Holdings as "thriving in a dying industry." Through a merger with Intercontinental Energy Corporation, he secured significant oil and gas reserves while preserving jobs. Reflecting on those years, Bob told the newspaper, "We made two weak companies into one strong one, and we kept everyone working. I'd say 1987 was a very positive year for us." He later added with characteristic humility, "We've done some interesting things in the past year. One of them is that we survived."

In 1989, Bob sold Greenwood Resources, Ltd. to Concord Resources Group in Denver, becoming President of several Concord companies, including Mama Rizzo's Marinara Italian Sauce in Houston, Texas. At the same time, he also served as President of Packaging Research Corporation (PRC), an innovative manufacturer of automated food processing and packaging equipment.

From 1991 through 1993, Bob traveled to the Soviet Union and its former republics — including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine — on 38 separate trips to establish joint manufacturing ventures designed to improve food production. One major project supplied nearly all of the equipment for a large potato processing facility outside Moscow, helping address the country's food shortages. A Russian journalist quoted in the Rocky Mountain News described potatoes as second only to bread in importance to the Russian people and explained how PRC's processing technology would allow potatoes to be converted immediately into dehydrated flakes at the point of harvest.

Another Concord project involved tomato processing and packaging to help provide food during Russia's harsh winters. In one remarkable humanitarian effort, Concord arranged for a fully loaded Boeing 747 to fly from Denver to Moscow carrying a herd of pregnant cows, two bulls, two veterinarians, and several cowboys to help establish breeding operations. On a later visit, Bob was saddened to learn that the severe Russian winter had forced the cattle to be used as food to help feed the local population.

Bob's leadership with Concord also took him to Japan and China, where he helped establish additional international joint ventures.

Away from work, Bob and Sharlet shared an extraordinary love of travel, boating, and scuba diving. Together they explored the Red Sea in Egypt, dove throughout Mexico, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Hawaii, Belize, Roatan, and the Florida Keys, and created countless adventures together on and beneath the water.

In the fall of 1996, Bob and Sharlet retired from their professional careers and made St. Petersburg, Florida, their permanent home. After completing the Great Loop aboard their 32-foot Ocean Yacht Sportfish in October 1997, they earned their Florida Yacht Broker licenses.

Fillingham Yacht Sales, Inc. officially opened in January 2001, the earliest date permitted under Florida regulations. Their first office was a modest 75-square-foot space near the Tierra Verde dockmaster's office. From those humble beginnings, they built one of the area's most respected yacht brokerages.

Bob also embraced the humorous nickname "Honest Bob's Boats," a registered trademark of Carlmattcolin, LLC., inspired by some of his closest boating friends. His famous business card proudly read:

"Honest Bob's Boats – Guaranteed seaworthy for 90 days or 90 feet, whichever comes first."

What began as a lighthearted joke became a nickname that perfectly reflected the integrity and reputation Bob carried throughout the boating community. Special thanks to his many friends at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club for making "Honest Bob" a name that would stay with him for the rest of his life.

Recognizing that boating should always begin with safety, Bob and Sharlet also earned their United States Coast Guard Master's Captain Licenses. Together they founded the hands-on Powerboat Safety and Operating School, Inc. (Powerboat SOS) to help others safely enjoy life on the water.

Bob also served as an Advanced Instructor for the St. Petersburg Sail & Power Squadron and was an active member of the Squires Club and Captain of the Bucketeers Club in 2013.

As longtime members of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, Bob served as Membership Chairman, on the Board of Directors, Port Committee, Power Boat Inspector, Gem Fund, and was an active participant in the Wing Shooters, Cruising Fleet, and Briney Brothers. Nearly every weekend, Bob and Sharlet volunteered aboard their beloved Shar-K II, a 32-foot Ocean Sportfish, serving on Race Committee for club regattas.

After more than two decades of building Fillingham Yacht Sales, Bob and Sharlet sold the company to Rob and Micki Siviter, who chose to preserve Bob's vision, reputation, and legacy by continuing to operate under the Fillingham Yacht Sales name. Bob was deeply grateful to see the company he loved continue into the future.

Bob will forever be remembered as "Honest Bob." Those two words perfectly captured the man he was. His honesty, kindness, generosity, and unwavering integrity earned the respect of everyone who knew him. He never forgot a friend, never hesitated to mentor a young person, and was always willing to lend a helping hand, whether in business or on the water.

Above all, Bob was a fighter. No matter the obstacle, he believed every problem had a solution if you were willing to keep searching for it. Even during his four-year battle with cancer, which kept him away from many of the friends he treasured, Bob remained convinced that if he continued fighting, he would one day be back with them again.

His legacy lives on through his family, his countless friends, the boating community he helped shape, and the many lives he touched over nine remarkable decades.

The family extends its heartfelt gratitude to the physicians, nurses, and caregivers at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Moffitt Cancer Center, and Tampa General Hospital/USF Health in Tampa, FL, whose compassionate care gave Bob several additional years filled with love, laughter, and friendship.

God bless you as Bob spreads his large wings over us all.