Robert Allan Longmire

Robert “Bob” Longmire, age 97, died on September 24, 2024. He was born in New Orleans on June 28, 1927, to John Preston Longmire and Germaine Rocquet Longmire. For his first 3 years of school, he attended “Surgis” a one-room elementary school near his grandparent’s (Rocquets) home on Esplanade Ave, where he and his family also lived. After graduating from St. Aloysius High in 1944, he worked briefly for the U.S. Corps of Engineers, which influenced his future career choice. As a 17-year-old, he volunteered for the U.S. Naval V-5 program until his discharge in 1946. Having earned the GI Bill, he attended Tulane University and received his Bachelor of Engineering degree (Chemical) in 1949. On the Tulane campus, he met and fell in love with Gayle Schwarzenbach, later to become his wife. They met at the Catholic Newman Club but their mutual attraction was sparked on the dance floor at the Tulane “Student Stomp” held every Friday afternoon.

Bob enjoyed a 37+ year career with Esso/Exxon, starting in 1949 at the “Esso” Baton Rouge Refinery. In 1960 he transferred to New York, where for the next 21 years, he held various positions in Exxon Corporate Headquarters and at Esso International where he advanced to Supply and Transportation Vice President. In 1981, he moved to Houston as Manager of Petroleum Products for Esso Eastern, Inc. The last three years of his career were in Japan as President/CEO of Esso Sekiyu, K.K. in Tokyo.

Bob and Gayle were married in 1950 and were blessed with 7 children who later produced 15 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren. He was proud to be able to claim a great grandson namesake-RAL the IV. The family was Bob’s passion, and his greatest joy in life was to see his extended family maintain contact with and show interest in each other. To foster this, he published a family newsletter “True Grits” for 12 years and then a family website “e-Grits” for 21+ years. He enjoyed singing as he played his ukelele and published a Sing & Play-Along songbook for the family reunion in 2015 (38 in attendance including 6 uke players).

Well into his 50s, Bob was an avid tennis player, but knee problems forced him to shift to golf which he continued into his 90s. He played mostly at Pine Forest C.C. and in various Houston charity tournaments and was a founding member of the “4 Amigos.” He was also a regular on the links at the Hideout in Pennsylvania and competed in tournaments, winning 9 Senior and Super-senior Championships overall. It should be noted that he also shot his age over 100 times. The Hideout Lake House was a strong attraction for family members and long-time friends, all of whom were happy recipients of Bob’s homemade biscuits and grilled chicken and corn.

Upon retirement, Bob became an active volunteer, using his Mac computer skills to help family members and many organizations with their newsletters, directories and websites, and also serving as an Arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau. He was a long-time member of the Advisory Council of the Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in Houston where he taught computer classes, developed other educational programs and annually assisted men in the program with their Federal Tax returns. He was a life-long Catholic and a 40+ year member of St. Cecilia Parish in Houston, where in his late 80s he served as an Usher. For years, he especially loved being a Docent for Houston’s Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Bob (along with Gayle) were active supporters of St. Thomas University’s Irish Outreach Program and the Performing Arts Department, serving on that Advisory Council for several years. In his final 6 years, he was an engaged resident of the Buckingham, creating its first resident website and being a steadfast member of the “breakfast club.”

Bob (Boz, Dad, G-pa) will be remembered for those big blue eyes, booming voice, passionate spirit, teasing sense of humor and heart of gold. This man of faith and integrity was a true force of nature! We’ll all miss him terribly.

Bob was preceded in death by his mother and father, sisters Adele Franz and Jane Wiedemann, brothers John and Charles Longmire of New Orleans, and grandson Michael Breaux of Baton Rouge. He is survived by Gayle, his beloved wife of 74 years, his 7 adored children Bob, Jr, Catherine, Dan, Jay, Fran, Judi, and Liz and his loving extended family.

Vigil services will be held at Earthman Funeral home in Hunters Creek on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, from 5pm-7pm. A Memorial Mass will be held at St. Cecilia Church on Wednesday, October 9th at 10:30 am. A second service will take place at Holy Name of Mary Church on November 16th in New Orleans where his remains will be interred.

In Bob’s honor, charitable contributions to the Salvation Army of Greater Houston would be appreciated.