Earl H. Pomberg's Obituary
Earl H. Pomberg beloved husband, father and son, passed away on December 17, 2023. He was predeceased by his loving wife Shirley Colborn Pomberg, parents Marie Krogmeyer Pomberg, Louis Henry Pomberg, sister Mary Voss. He will be missed deeply by his sons, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, other family and friends. They will remember his wisdom, fairness, and willingness to share his knowledge.
Earl was born in Lee County, Iowa. After his father died, the family moved to Fort Meyers, Florida. Upon high school graduation Earl joined the Navy. After his service with the Navy ended, he married the love of his life Shirley. He worked in several industries where he could not find his passion and eventually moved to Texas with his new wife and a young son to work for Texas Instruments.
After the birth of his second son, Earl knew he had to find a better way to support his young family. In 1972 Earl and his wife Shirley started The Rock Barrell. At first, they sold shells and stones from a small booth at a weekend flea market. Earl quickly realized his talent for buying, which included identifying items people would love. He found that he could purchase in bulk and offer these items at a fair price. Every dime he had went into the business. On buying trips he would save money by sleeping in his van at rest stops. But the hard work and sacrifices paid off, not only did he enjoy the buying process, but he loved interacting with his customers. Earl had finally found his passion. That passion was passed on to his sons, David & Phillip, who now operate The Rock Barrell.
Even though Earl never went to college, he believed in the power of learning. He was fond of saying “the great thing about education is once you have it – nobody can take it away from you”. If you are so inclined, donations may be made to the Earl H. Pomberg Research Fund supporting the Geosciences Department at the University of Texas at Dallas.
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