Funeral services for Bobby (Bob) Frank Reeves, 93, of Bernice, LA will be Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. at Weldon Baptist Church near Bernice, LA, with Rev. Michail Baldwin and Rev. Neil Everett officiating. Burial will follow at Weldon Cemetery under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home. Visitation will be at the church one hour prior to the service.

Bob was born in his maternal grandparents’ home in Crystal City, TX on May 31, 1930 and died November 22, 2023 at Alpine Rehabilitation Center in Ruston, Louisiana. His early childhood was spent in a house without electricity and indoor plumbing and where he learned the meaning of hard work. He lived a full and exciting life. From the time he was big enough to ride a horse, drag a cotton sack, and milk a cow, he worked. During his early years he raised and sold chickens, delivered news papers, chopped and picked cotton, milked at a dairy, alley-boy at a livestock auction, life guard, an apprentice electrician, volunteer fireman, mowed many lawns and handyman. The summer between his junior and senior high school year he became interested in flying, so Bob made a deal with the local aerial dusting service to load dusting chemical into airplanes in exchange for flying lessons. Unfortunately, after several lessons and soloing, the service went out of business, and he never got his pilot license.

Bob graduated from Crystal City High School in 1948. He excelled in football, track and basketball while in school. His passion for sports continued after graduation, so he enrolled at Texas A&M with aspirations to play Aggie football. Unfortunately that did not happen but Victoria College gave him an athletic scholarship where he played football and ran track. At the end of two years in college, the Korean War was under way and local draft boards were in full swing. So he enlisted in the U. S. Air Force, went though basic training, then to aerial gunnery training, posted to Randolph Field, TX and assigned to a B-29 Bomber crew for combat training. After his tour, the crew was posted to Barksdale Air Base LA. Shortly after arriving at Barksdale, the B-29’s were replaced with B-47 Bombers and KC-97 Tankers. Bob was assigned to a KC-97 crew as a Boom Operator. During Bob’s time at Barksdale, he was involved in many deployments.

However, Bob did find time to court a cute, sweet nurse, Edith Jane Flurry of Summerfield, LA, who was a nurse at Willis-Knighton Hospital in Shreveport, LA. Although, he enjoyed his air force duty, it was decided that it was in the best interest of their future marriage and family to leave his active duty at the end of his enlistment and continue his education. While visiting Bob’s family, Edith and Bob were married October 11, 1954, at Uvalde, TX by Rev. Jesse Cook, pastor of Temple Baptist Church. Edith and Bob remained together for 63 years until her death on March 5, 2018. Bob counted Edith as one of his greatest blessings. He will be buried beside his beloved wife at Weldon Cemetery.

After a few more deployments his enlistment was to end July 7, 1955. Ironically, on that date he was at Thule, Greenland but several days later was back at Barksdale. Finally, after years of active duty, he was released and went into reserves status from which he retired as a Master Sergeant.

With all of Edith and Bob’s belongings in the back seat of a 1950 Chevy, they headed to College Station, TX. Bob started summer classes at Texas A&M and got a part-time job with Ag Research Service. Edith got a job as Research Assistance working with Graduate Students. Finally in 1958, Bob graduated with his Engineering degree, 10 years after first enrolling in 1948. Once again with all their belongings in the back seat of the Chevy, they headed to Eagle Pass, TX for Bob’s first job as a Field Engineer with the USDA. While at Eagle Pass, Robert was born November 22, 1961 (and it was decided that Edith would become a full-time Mom). The Eagle Pass job lasted about four years before being promoted to Area Engineer at Alice, TX. That job lasted about four years. Michelle was born September 1, 1964. Then it was on to Harlingen, TX. for two years as a Planning Engineer on the Lower Rio Grande Basin project. Then a move to Temple, TX. While at Temple, he was promoted to River Basin Planning Staff Leader. He moved to Auburn, AL in 1977 as head of Water Resources for about five years. Then to Ft. Worth, TX. in 1982, as River Basin Planning Specialist for the 12 southeast states, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. Finally after 31 years as an engineer in planning, construction and management, he retired January 3, 1989. In 1992, with the yearning to live a quieter and serene life, Edith and Bob returned to Louisiana.

Shortly before retirement, Bob was in Puerto Rico working Hurricane Hugo and mentioned his plan to retire. A FEMA friend suggested that his experience would be an asset with FEMA. So he looked into part-time work with FEMA and went to work in May 1989. For 12 years he was a responder and project coordinator to floods, snow/ice storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, typhoons, forest fires, Mt. St. Helens volcano eruption, and space ship Columbia disaster.

Bob was a Licensed Professional Engineer, Gideon, Shriner and 50 plus years Mason. During his careers, he received many accolades and awards which including: certified Founding Member of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; was conferred a Honorary Colonel, Aide-de-Camp from Governor Johnson of the State of New Mexico; a Certificate of Recognition from Governor Huckabee of the State of Arkansas; proclaimed to be an Honorary Citizen and key to the City of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri by Mayor Anderson; a Certificate of Appreciation from Governor Edwards of the State of Louisiana; a Plaque of Appreciation from Puerto Rico for developing the Toa Vaca Project; a Certificate of Appreciation from the Territory of Guam for recovery efforts during Typhoon Russ; Appointed Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Aide-de-Camp in Alabama State Militia by Jim Folsom, Governor of Alabama, Commander in Chief; was conferred Honorary Colonel in the Texas Army and Honorary Admiral in the Texas Navy by the Governor of Texas.

Bob is a member of Weldon Baptist Church. He never spoke an unkind word about anyone, believing if you can’t say something good don’t say anything. He also believed that “a good deed in the dark is a shining light in heaven and a bragging deed puts a smile on Satan’s face.” He loved old southern gospel songs. Whenever he was traveling in his pickup truck a CD was blaring.

Bob is preceded in death by his wonderful, loving wife Edith; his parents, Frank Coy Reeves and Jewel Mae (Croft) (Reeves) Brown; a wonderful, caring step-dad James Martin (Country) Brown; his maternal grandparents, Jessie Zachariah and Rebecca Jane (Custer) Croft, and paternal grandparents, Martin and Catherine (Peters) Reeves.

Bob is survived by his son, Robert Martin Reeves of Houston, TX; daughter, Rini Michelle (Reeves) Pennington Fort Worth, TX; grandchildren, Ronald Coy Pennington and Rachael Callie Pennington; great granddaughter, Alarah Rae Pennington; sisters, Betty Jo (Reeves) Wilson of Carrizo Springs, TX and Judy Kay (Brown) Park of Little Rock, AR; and many wonderful, caring nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Phillip Strahan, Eddy Lee, Rodney Rea, Rodger Parish, Ricky Rea, and Freddie Boyett . Honorary pallbearers will be his Sunday School Class.

Bob requested that any memorials be made to the Gideon Bible distribution program and/ or Shriner Hospitals for Children.

The book of Bob’s earthly life is closed but his heavenly book of life has no “THE END”. The BEST is yet to come.

The epitome of Bob’s life can be summarized by a verse from a poem by Lord George Gordon Byron:

“Here’s a sigh to those who love me, smile to those who hate me: And, whatever sky’s above me, Here’s a heart for ever fate.”

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.kilpatrickfuneralhomes.com.

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