Robert E. DeLong

Robert Earl (Bob) DeLong was born February 11, 1933 in Frankston, Texas to John Harold DeLong and Mary Ellen Cook DeLong. His little brother, Richard, came along in 1937. (Robert had wanted a rabbit.)

They moved to Pleasant Grove in 1941 where he became an outstanding student and athlete (and met Shirley.) He lettered in all four sports and went to North Texas State University on a football scholarship.

He married Shirley Dee Johnson Oct 9, 1954.

At North Texas he was in the Air Force ROTC and upon graduation entered the Air Force as a Second Lieutenant. He was in the Air Force twenty-one years, served in Vietnam, and retired as a Lt. Colonel in 1976. His last assignment was at the Pentagon. While in the Air Force he earned his Master's Degree from Michigan State. (He went in as "Robert" and came out as "Bob.")

Bob worked in the D.C. area for about ten years, then he and his family came back to Texas where he worked for The Dallas Times Herald. In his mid fifties, he went to East Texas University to get his teaching certificate. He taught English at Kaufman High School and Crandall High School for about fifteen years.

Robert, a man of great Christian faith and a Master Mason for over sixty years, was a member of Forney First Baptist Church and Brooklyn Lodge #386.

He is survived by Shirley, his wife of sixty-one years; daughter Elizabeth Marin and husband, Rusty, of Windham, NH; son, Robert E. DeLong, of Forney, TX; daughter Bonnie Fenn and husband, Mark, of The Woodlands, TX; daughter Becky Dobbs and husband, Robert, of Forney, TX; nine grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren; and brother Richard DeLong and wife, Cecile, of Forney, TX.

Robert was preceded in death by his parents, John and Ellen.

He was an intelligent and fun guy; a loving husband, father, and grandfather; and an exemplary big brother. (BTW, he could have been a bricklayer.)

Visitation will be Monday, February 29, 2016 from 12:00 to 1:30 P.M., and will be followed by the Funeral Service at 2:00 P.M., all at First Baptist Church of Forney, 1003 College Ave, Forney, TX 75126, and will be Officiated by Dr. Jimmy Pritchard and Rev. Jerry Griffin. Interment will follow at Grove Hill Memorial Park in Dallas, TX.