Bob Varner

Robert Andrew Varner was born in Oxford, MS on August 8, 1931. He lost his hearing from a high fever when he was 18 months old. He entered the Mississippi School for the Deaf in Jackson, MS in 1938 at the age of 7. He played football and was a member of the Rifle Club in 1947. Robert played basketball, baseball, and track for the Mississippi Bulldogs. He was many ribbons. In the broad jump, he leaped 17 feet 9 ½ inches, and high jump, 5 ft. He graduated in 1951 and played basketball for the Jackson Silents at the annual basketball tournament on March 6, 1953. He moved to San Antonio, and played basketball for the Alamo Silents from 1954-1960. He moved to Corpus Christi and worked for the Corpus Christi Caller Times publishing company for 32 years. He married his high school sweetheart, Bobby Rhene Jones. When asked the best news of his life, he said, “When I asked my wife to marry me, and she said “yes”. “If I could invite four people to dinner, they would be, Helen Keller, John Wayne, John Kennedy and George Washington”.

Bob is survived by his wife, Bobby; brother, Bill Varner and his nephew, Dr. William Varner and his wife, Terri.

The family will receive friends on Monday, April 11, 2016 at Sunset Funeral Home from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. A celebration of Bob’s life will be at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at Sunset Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Park.