Bobby Gene Tarpenning

Bob was born in Arkansas City, Kansas, on July 5, 1934 to Durward William Tarpenning and Ellen Marie Barger Tarpenning. He spent his early years in the northern Oklahoma communities of Newkirk and Blackwell. He graduated from Blackwell (OK) High School in the class of 1952. He attended college at Northern Oklahoma College.

Bob enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1955 and served for four years, including assignments to military bases in Germany. After his service, he began his career at the Federal Aviation Administration as an Electronic Technician in Oklahoma City. He met his first wife, Emily, at FAA and they were married in 1961. They moved to Boulder, Colorado in 1962 and both children were born there. They returned to OKC and he was promoted to Electronics Engineer in 1966. In 1973, FAA moved the family to Houston and then a year later to Fort Worth where the family settled in Keller, Texas. He retired from FAA after working over 30 years. In 1998, he married his current wife Patsy and they lived near Cleburne, Texas (Coyote Flats) until his death.

Bob had a lifelong passion for cars and belonged to and served as a board member or officer for many local clubs including the Horseless Carriage Club of America, the Antique Automobile Club of America, the Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club, the North Texas Corvair Association, H.E.B. Cruisers, and several others. One of his first jobs was working for North Motor Company, the Nash dealer, in Blackwell. While stationed in Germany, he participated in Gymkhana competitions in his beloved Porsche. When he was discharged from the Air Force and returned to the US, he had that car shipped back and had to wait an extra ten days for the car to arrive before heading home to Oklahoma! While living in Colorado, he organized and ran many Gymkhana events and sports car rallies with the Sports Car Club of America. He gathered many trophies over the years for his excellent driving skills. Later in life, he indulged his love of antique vehicles owning and restoring a 1915 Model T, a 1929 Chrysler, a 1954 Ford Victoria, Covairs, Nashes, Hudsons, and so many other cars we couldn’t keep track!

He also had a love for airplanes and flying which led him to earn a commercial pilot’s license. He was a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and while living in OKC restored an Aeronca Chief that he often flew to area “fly-ins” taking his daughter Ginny along for pancake breakfasts. He maintained a membership with the Civil Air Patrol through most of his adult life.

Bob is survived by his wife of 23 years, Patsy Sue Starnes Tarpenning; daughter, Virginia Lynn Tarpenning Richards; daughter-in-law Christine Kissel Tarpenning; granddaughter Jennifer Aspen Tarpenning; and former spouse Emily Ryan Tarpenning.

He was preceded in death by his parents, son Michael Darrin Tarpenning, and son-in-law Roy Martin Richards, Jr.