Robert “Bob” Planck, 74, of Houston, Texas died on December 22, 2022. A beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, mentor and friend, Bob was a leader and visionary who made significant contributions to the University of Houston, Tau Kappa Epsilon, and the foodservice and distribution industries. Bob was an avid sports fan who could often be found in the stands cheering on his son, grandchildren and UH Cougars. He loved travel, history, genealogy, volunteering, and meeting new people - once you were Bob’s friend, you were a friend for life. Above all else, Bob will be remembered as a kind and loyal man, a faithful friend and mentor who loved his family, his fraternity, and the University of Houston.
Bob is survived by his cherished wife and partner of 53 years, Sharron Brieger Planck, their son Jeff and his wife Mayson, his grandchildren Amanda and Brett, his sister Paula Lowrey, many nieces and nephews and countless friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Elizabeth Planck.
Bob was born in Galveston in 1948, where his parents owned and operated the Blue Ribbon restaurant on 61st Street. Growing up, Bob learned important lessons about entrepreneurship, customer service and social responsibility. He graduated from Ball High School in 1966. While he made Houston his home, Bob’s love of Galveston never waned, and he remained active in the Galveston community his entire life. He and Sharron maintained a second home on Pirate’s Beach. He was an active member, serving on the board, of the Krewe of Gambrinus, a not-for-profit organization chartered to support tourism and underprivileged children and elderly in Galveston, Harris and surrounding counties. Bob served as King Gambrinus XXV for the 2014-2015 Galveston Mardi Gras season.
Bob attended the University of Houston and graduated as a member of the first class of the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management in 1971. He remained a faithful and supportive alumnus of the University of Houston his whole life, returning to campus to speak on the value of participation, perseverance and mentorship with students. Bob received numerous honors and recognitions for his contributions to the University and is one of only eight alumni to receive both the Distinguished Service Honoree Award and the Distinguished Alumni Award. He was also recognized as the Hilton College Alumni of the Year. One of Bob’s proudest moments was when he and Sharron received the UH Parents of the Year Award after being secretly nominated by their son, who was a student at the University at the time.
Bob was a member of the University of Houston Hilton College’s Eric's Club for Distinguished Alumni and served in many roles, including Past Chairman. He was actively involved with the UH Wolff Center Entrepreneurship Program, The Ezekial Cullen Society, the 1927 Society, the UH Alumni Association, and the “Cougar Lunch Bunch.” Bob was proud to serve on the Dean’s Advisory Councils for both the Hilton and Honors Colleges at the University of Houston. Over the years Bob also served as president of the Hilton College Alumni Association, a board of directors member and vice president of the UH Alumni Association, and a member of The UH Athletic Foundation Board. He was a Life Member of the UH Alumni Association and the Frontier Fiesta Foundation and was an active supporter of all athletic programs through Cougar Pride.
After graduating from college, Bob was honored to serve in the US Army during the Vietnam War. Rising to the rank of Captain, Bob had numerous roles and worked on projects that improved access to quality food and medical services for troops in the field and in military hospitals and for which he was awarded two Army Commendation Medals. After completing his military service, Bob went on to have an impactful and distinguished career in the foodservice, distribution and service industries. Colleagues noted that Bob was a key player in each role he served and was a man who took challenges and created opportunities. Bob served as corporate director of foodservice and housekeeping for Humana Hospitals Corporation for two years, followed by 18 years with Sysco Corporation in Houston, where he became the vice president of marketing and led the charge in developing quality private label products. He was recruited to direct John Lewis Foodservice of Australia, helping the company grow to be the largest foodservice distribution operation in Australia. Upon returning to Texas, Bob served as a visiting professor and executive in residence at the University of Houston. The dean who recruited Bob to the position noted that he was always focused on how he could help students build their skill sets to maximize their potential. He also consulted with numerous firms in both the US and Australia during that time. Bob went on to found Independent Marketing Alliance (IMA), the nation’s largest supply chain alliance of independent foodservice distributors, where he served as President until his retirement in 2016. Bob was recognized for his contributions to the foodservice industry with a Doctorate of the Foodservice Industry award.
Bob had a lifelong love of Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) beginning as an undergraduate and continuing on as an alumni member until the time of his death. In Bob’s own words, he “learned more about leadership, motivation, fellowship, goal achievement, tolerance of others, and winning in life through lessons from [his] TKE experience than from classes or other experiences.” He held many leadership positions as both an undergraduate and alumni, including serving as international Grand Prytanis from 2001-2002. He received numerous awards for his dedication and service to the fraternity, most notably the Order of the Golden Eagle, the Circle of Excellence award for career achievement, and the TKE UH President Emeritus Award. Bob was a proud Teke who applied the three cardinal principles, Love, Charity, and Esteem, in every aspect of his life.
A private family service will be held. However, a life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered, and a celebration of life is being planned for the near future.
Donations and memorial contributions may be made to the University of Houston Hilton College Bob Planck Memorial Fund. The Planck family asks that you please continue keeping Bob’s family and friends in your thoughts and prayers throughout this challenging
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