Robert Holmes Temkovits

Robert Holmes Temkovits, 78, passed away peacefully at his home in Brooksville, MS on May 12, 2026. A celebration of life service will be held on Sunday, May 31, 2026, at Hill and Moor, 1699 Moor High Rd., Crawford, MS 39743, at 3:30 p.m. Casual attire, please. In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes memorials to the EMCC Foundation, P.O. Box 158, Scooba, MS 39358 (earmark football program) or online at https://www.eastms.edu/alumni/donations/index.html. Cockrell Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements.

Robert was born on April 29, 1948, in Columbus, MS., to the late Charles Albert and Mary Dell Holmes Temkovits. Robert played all high school sports; football, baseball, track and basketball. He lettered in all four while in high school. Robert played for two years aside his brother, Charlie. They received the nickname to all rival teams as “here come The Russians and Trim the Tem’s”.

Robert’s legacy is one that will be felt for generations to come. His football career at East Mississippi Community College cemented his hometown hero status, and he was recently honored alongside his teammates for their accomplishments. He then went on to play football at Delta State University, where he earned a degree in accounting.

Robert was always in perpetual motion — bouncing from one task to another, always with a goal out in front of him. He loved competition and thrived on achievement. That same drive and determination carried over into his business ventures, where he built a lasting legacy through Tem’s One, Tem’s Two, and the Texaco/Shell stores alongside Shirley Featherston, Edna Varner, Johnny Will Smith, Michelle Temkovits, William Parker, Gary and Beth Scoggins, Ernest and Pat Hill, Robert and Deborah Stevens, Randall Reed, Jonathan Sellers, and the many dedicated employees who became part of the Tem’s family.

Never one to settle, Robert envisioned Tem’s stores as the “top of the line grocery and convenience stores, and through hard work and perseverance, he made that dream a reality. Today, people travel from far and wide to visit Tem’s Two — a lasting testament to his vision, determination, and commitment to excellence.

While running grocery stores and owning a fish farm, Robert always made ample time for the outdoors. An avid foxhunter, he first helped establish a hunt in Clarksdale, Mississippi, before later joining forces with Hard Away Hounds in Greensboro, Alabama. He spent many years astride a horse, riding through the countryside and enjoying the music of the hounds. He was fortunate to share this passion with his wife, Laurin, as well as his daughters Julie Anne and Michelle and his two granddaughters.

Robert will forever be remembered for his wide smile, his kind nature, his charming habit of never quite remembering a name, his energy, and his innate love for life.

He is survived by his loving wife, Dr. Laurin Temkovits; his daughters, Michelle Temkovits Parker and Julie Anne Temkovits; his granddaughters, Madison Holt (Corbin) and Marley Davis (Elliot); his great-granddaughters, Ivy Kate and Emerson; and his brother, Charlie Temkovits (Becky). He was preceded in death by his parents Charles Albert and Mary Dell Holmes Temkovits.