Tim Tebow is mourning the loss of his father, Robert "Bob" Tebow, who passed away on April 23, 2026, at the age of 78 after a prolonged battle with Parkinson's disease.
Sharing the news on social media, Tebow framed his father's passing through the lens of faith and eternal hope. "Heaven ushered in a hero of the faith last night as my Dad was welcomed home," he wrote, adding that when he recently asked his father what he most looked forward to in heaven, Bob's answer was simple: "Jesus."
Robert Tebow's life was marked by decades of missionary work and evangelistic ministry. In 1985, he and his wife Pam answered a call to serve in the Philippines, relocating their young family to Mindanao with a vision to share the gospel widely. That mission would grow into a long-standing movement focused on raising and equipping local evangelists to reach communities across the nation.
The Philippines is also where Tim Tebow was born, a detail that has remained central to his own identity and public testimony. Over the years, Tebow has frequently pointed to his parents as his greatest role models, crediting their faith, sacrifice, and commitment to ministry as foundational to his life and career.
In recent years, as Robert Tebow's health declined following his 2016 Parkinson's diagnosis, the legacy of the family's ministry began transitioning to the next generation. In 2025, Tim Tebow formally stepped into a greater leadership role, continuing the work through the Tim Tebow Foundation.
Tebow closed his tribute with a message that reflected both grief and conviction: "Praise God that his wait is over. Death has been swallowed up in victory... So we don't mourn as those with no hope."
Robert Tebow leaves behind a lasting global legacy-one shaped not only by his missionary efforts but by the generations of lives impacted through his message of faith, service, and the hope of the gospel.
