Robert “Bobby” Leonard Tambur

Robert “Bobby” Leonard Tambur, 87, of Shavertown, passed away Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at Hospice of the Sacred Heart, Dunmore.  He was born on October 26, 1938 in the former Pittston Hospital.  His parents were the late Arthur and Rose Gentile Tambur. The family was of Italian and Eastern European descent. He was the third child of four (two brothers and one sister). His family spent his early years in the junction section of Pittston where the family attended the Second Presbyterian Church on Parsonage Street. When Bob was about five years old, he and his extended family moved to a farm in Harding owned by his late Aunt and Uncle, Dominick and Minnie Gentile Panzitta.

Beginning at age 10, Bob and his cousins worked summers picking vegetables on the farm and surrounding area. This summer work made a significant impact on his life. As a result, hard work and commitment became second nature to him.  Bob was a standout athlete at West Pittston High School, particularly known for his speed on the football field.  As a halfback for the Rams, Bob was selected to the West Side Conference All Scholastic Team in his junior and senior years. Over a three-year period, he scored 28 touchdowns.  He played in the 1956 UNICO All Star game.

After graduating in 1956, Bob moved on to Bloomsburg College where he played football. Although earning a varsity letter in his freshman year, Bob decided to leave for another opportunity. Through a personal connection, Bob re-started college at the State Teachers College in Ellendale, North Dakota. He played both football and baseball.  He was captain of the football team in his junior and senior years.  He earned a Bachelor of Science Diploma in Industrial Arts Education with a minor in Physical Education.   After graduation in 1960, he received a Certification from the Concordia College Coaching School.  He then coached football at Cheyenne Eagle Butte High School in South Dakota from 1960 through 1961.

After some time in South Dakota, Bob decided to head back home. He took a job with a finance company in New Jersey and started repossessing cars. While on a sales call to the former First National Bank in Lewistown, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, Bob met his wife Virginia “Ginny” Smith in 1963.   During their courtship, Bob spent time in the Army Reserves and traveled to Fort Knox, Kentucky. While serving at Fort Knox, he played on the Brigade baseball team.  Bob and Ginny married in 1966 and settled in Kingston. Two years after the wedding, Bob took a job with another finance company and relocated to Latham, New York.  Shortly thereafter, Bob was given the opportunity to open new company markets in California, Oregon, and Washington.  As a result, Bob and Ginny went on the road to the west coast. This experience proved to be valuable.  Bob was able to excel at work while experiencing other parts of the country with Ginny.  Ginny was a supportive wife and helped Bob prepare proposals and presentations for Bob’s potential clients.  After months in Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Washington, and Los Angeles, California, Bob and Ginny moved back to Wyoming Valley and once again settled in Kingston. They became members of the former Forty-Fort Presbyterian Church. Their new home was significantly impacted by Hurricane Agnes in June of 1972. In November 1972, they gave birth to their son Robert and in October 1974, they gave birth to their daughter, Liza. Circa 1975, Bob launched his first venture: Tammac Corporation. Over the course of decades and through several entities, Tammac provided numerous financial services to banks, businesses, and/or consumers including manufactured housing financing, manufactured housing insurance, manufactured housing floorplan, automobile lease origination and servicing, credit reporting, mortgage origination, mortgage servicing, resort financing, equipment leasing, and title insurance.   Overall service areas included New England, Mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest.

In addition to the world of finance, Bob ventured and invested in other industries, including local banking, fitness and racquetball (AC Fitness), the former International Motor Sport Association Grand Prix Du Mardi Gras in downtown New Orleans (1991, 1992, and 1995), residential condominium development (Newberry Estates in Dallas with his boyhood friend, the late Charles E. Parente), golf course development and management (Glenmaura National Golf Club in Moosic and Blue Ridge Trail Golf Club in Dorrance Twp.), single family residential development, retail development and property management , Standardbred horse racing, horse breeding, and hospitality (Isabella Restaurant and Bar).

Despite his long and successful career, Bob is probably best known for his development of the Arena Hub Plaza shopping center on Mundy Street in Wilkes-Barre Twp. Bob had no shopping center development experience circa 1994, but at the age of 56 took a significant risk and bought +/- 62 acres of mine scarred land behind the then fully occupied and busy Wyoming Valley Mall.  After securing Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse as an anchor in 1997, Bob, his son, and his new development team created one of the largest open air shopping centers in northeast Pennsylvania. The development was complicated and risky. It was through Bob’s vision, courage, leadership, and determination that made the project successful.  Arena Hub Plaza continues to be a major destination today, nearly thirty years later.

Throughout Bob’s life, he always took time to get involved in the community. He gave time to individuals in need of assistance and/or advice. He served on numerous boards including Northeast Baseball, Inc. (the entity responsible for bringing the former Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Red Barons to Moosic), Wilkes-Barre Catholic Youth Center, King’s College, the Hospital Service Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Geisinger, Hospice of the Sacred Heart, Fox Hill Country Club, Glenmaura National Golf Club (serving as President and Greens Chairman), Northeast Golf Charities, Inc. (former Nationwide Tour golf event at Glenmaura National Golf Club and Elmhurst Country Club 2000-2009) and the F.M. Kirby Center.

Over time, Bob and his wife were recognized and honored by numerous local organizations for their contributions to the greater Wyoming Valley. The organizations include the Salvation Army, Association for Fund Raising Professionals, the Boy Scouts of America, Misericordia University, Luzerne County Community College, the North Branch Land Trust, the Osterhout Free Library, and Geisinger. Bob received the Donchess Award from Wyoming Seminary and was the first Bold Gold Media Atlas Award recipient. He is a member of the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame, Wyoming Area Ring of Pride, and the Junior Achievement of Northeast Pennsylvania Business Hall of Fame.

Later in life, Bob, through his friend, the late Patrick J. Solano, got involved in state politics. He was a founding member of the Northeast Pennsylvania Leadership Fund, a Pennsylvania state political action committee. He helped organize and raise funds for the annual golf event, now in its 15th consecutive year. Over the years, Bob, Pat and other close friends, supported numerous local, state, and federal candidates. Throughout his time in politics, Bob was pleased to see many upstart candidates win elections. Like in life, business, sports, and horse racing, Bob loved underdogs. Upon Pat’s death, Bob became General Chairman of the Fund and served until his death.

Outside of work, community, and politics, Bob loved spending time with his wife and family, especially his five grandchildren. He loved family trips to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Jupiter, Florida, Bachelors Gulch, Colorado, and San Francisco, California. He also loved family trips to western Europe.  Bob loved to travel but always looked forward to coming home.  He was very proud of northeast Pennsylvania and did his best to make it a better place. In addition to traveling with his family, he loved golf, horses, Italian restaurants, the New York Yankees, and Penn State football.

Bob was an honest, intelligent, strong, disciplined, energetic, dependable, and resourceful man. He possessed keen instincts and had an uncanny ability to see what others could not. Despite his toughness and grit, he was kind and generous. According to Ginny, Bob never changed with additional success. He remained the same humble man over the course of his entire life. He never forgot his family, roots, or community. True to his fighting spirit, Bob fought valiantly through some very disruptive health challenges toward the later part of his life. Despite these challenges, Bob never complained and always hoped for a better tomorrow. He always remained strong in his faith.

In addition to his parents, Bob was preceded in death by his younger brother, Daniel “Danny” Tambur and older sister, Beverly Tambur Messick. He is survived by his loving wife, Ginny, and their two children, Robert Tamburro and his wife Megan (Moosic) and Liza Tambur-Rolland and her husband Rob (Dallas).  Bob is also survived by his five grandchildren: Robert (10) and Nicholas Tamburro (7), Sam (19), Anna (17), and George (15), his older brother, Arthur Tambur and his wife Cathy (Seattle, Washington), and numerous nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at the St. Paul Lutheran Church, 474 Yalick Road, in Dallas on Saturday, August 15^th.  There will be a public greeting by the family at 9:00AM followed by a worship service at 11:00AM.  The Rev. Rothrock will officiate. 

There will be a luncheon, open to all, at Isabella Restaurant and Bar, 1140 Route 315, Wilkes-Barre at 1:00PM.

In lieu of Flowers, memorial donations may be made to Hospice of the Sacred Heart, Moosic.

Arrangements are entrusted to Adonizio Funeral Home, LLC, Pittston.

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