Bobby R. Lord passed away on September 9, 2026, with peace in his heart, a faith that knew where he was headed, and the love of his family surrounding him.
Visitation will be 4 p.m. until 5 p.m. service time on Thursday, September 24, 2026 at Stringer & Griffin Funeral Home in Woodville. Officiating will be Charlie Geach. Private family burial will be in Colmesneil Cemetery in Colmesneil, Texas. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Randy Higgins, Mark Lord, Douglas Lord, Bruce Loughridge, Charlie Geach, Ron Temple, Greg Temple, and Oscar David Strickland.
To some he was Bobby. To others, “Bob Robert”. But whatever name you knew him by, chances are you remember him.
He was quick-witted and funny, tender and complicated, endlessly curious, and wickedly smart — the best kind of smart. He had the book knowledge, certainly, but he also possessed something harder to teach: a deep understanding of people, an instinct for life, and a remarkable ability to meet others exactly where they were.
Bobby was a natural orator, a gifted teacher, and a man whose faith was not simply something he professed; it was something he worked to live. Over the years, he taught and preached the message of Christ in places ranging from Doucette, Texas, to Saudi Arabia and the South Pacific. He spent his life trying, day by day, to become the man God intended him to be.
He would probably be the first to tell you that journey began somewhat unexpectedly.
As Bobby told the story, he followed a girl to church as a young man — and God simply never let go.
He accepted Christ in 1959, and his faith remained the cornerstone of his life until his final day. He struggled, questioned and stumbled as people do, but he never stopped believing that God had a plan for him. Looking back at the extraordinary, crazy, adventurous, loving and tender life that followed, it would be difficult to argue otherwise.
In 1960, Bobby married the woman he would often call the love of his life. They began their life together with plenty of love and perhaps a little less certainty about where the road would lead.
Apparently, God had plans for that too.
In 1961, Bobby began working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He found his calling, earned his degree in civil engineering, and went on to build an extraordinary career that would take him and his family around the world, with posts in places including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.
He built far more than projects.
Bobby built teams. He led with confidence and grace, and with that rare ability to recognize the person standing in front of him rather than simply the position they held. His leadership earned him some of the Army Corps of Engineers’ highest recognition, including the Hard Hat of the Year award. Receiving it once was an accomplishment. Receiving it twice was rare and career-defining.
And yet, through all of it, he remained Bob Lord — steadfast, approachable and humble.
For all his professional accomplishments, Bobby would likely tell you none of them ranked first.
His greatest accomplishment was his walk with God and the life that grew from it: a marriage spanning 66 years, a family he loved fiercely, friendships carried across decades and continents, people he taught and encouraged, and countless lives touched simply because their paths happened to cross his.
He cherished the many roles life gave him — husband, father, son, friend, uncle and brother. To his daughter, he was something even simpler and larger:
He was her hero.
Bobby is survived by his wife of 66 years, Frances Kay Lord, and his daughter, Anieca Lord, along with the family, friends and people scattered across the world who were fortunate enough to know and love him. He is also survived by his brother Douglas Lord and wife Jeanne Shirley-Lord.
In death, he joins his mother, Edna Moss Lord; his father, Roy Vernon Lord; his stepmother, Laverne Lord; and his infant son, Josh Lord.
Bobby left this life much as he lived it: surrounded by love, anchored by faith, and still trusting that there were greater things beyond what he could see.
One verse served as a cornerstone throughout his life, and those who knew him well often heard him ask with a smile, “Do you know God’s phone number?”
Jeremiah 33:3: “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
For Bobby Lord, a life spent answering that call led farther than he probably ever imagined — and he carried a grateful heart for every mile of it.
Bobby’s family would also like to offer their deepest gratitude to the caregivers who gave him such tender and steadfast love, especially in his final days. You became part of our family, and we will forever be grateful for your God-given gifts, your kindness, and the love you gave so freely.
Carrie “Five-Star Breakfast” Jackson,
Tina “Is There Anything She Can’t — or Won’t — Do?” Pittman,
Phyliss “Joy Just Walked in the Room” Wise, and
Lanay “Second Daughter” Button.
You cared for Bobby well. You loved him well. And we will never forget it.
Memorials may be made to Aspendale Baptist Encampment, P.O. Box 287, Cloudcroft, NM 88317 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Services are under the direction of Stringer & Griffin Funeral Home in Woodville.
