Robert Turner Poore was born on June 2, 1933 and passed away on October 31, 2014. Robert (Buck) was a loving husband, father and grandfather who will be greatly missed. His love of the great outdoors; fishing in Rockport, tubing on the Guadalupe River and his love of crawfish. Robert was a dedicated employee of Gulf Oil who exercised a leadership role in the early days of computer technology. He has worked in many places; Georgia, California, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas. Robert began his work as a programmer at Gulf Oil in the 60's. He worked with a team that developed the Field Data Acquisition system on an IBM mainframe computer that controlled Gulf Oil’s Automated Bulk Loading Terminals. Under his direction, he managed the installation and development of IBM mainframe software and telecommunications systems for Gulf Oil. He directed a team of software engineers who developed all of the data communications for Gulf Oil. His guidance and leadership was at a time when telecommunication was at its infancy. Telecommunications could not be purchased, it had to be developed. Accomplishments of Robert and his staff included: Batch telecommunication between all of Gulf Oil locations, first real-time systems for Chemicals, Pipeline, Marketing, Exploration and Refining. Additionally, under his direction, Robert's team developed message switching systems and the original Point of Sale network for Gulf Oil’s entire credit card network. Robert was a true "company man". He dedicated long hours to his work. He earned the nickname "Bullet Bob" for his ability to focus on a problem and charge into the solution. So noteworthy was his work that during the Chevron merger with Gulf Oil in 1984, Robert was appointed to lead the effort to relocate Gulf Oil’s entire Data Processing systems from Houston to California. This was a mammoth task involving Boeing 747's airlifting critical magnetic tape data from Houston overnight to California for installation the next day. After that special assignment, Robert became Manager of Chevron’s offshore Telecommunication Department in New Orleans. Robert retired in New Orleans in 1992. He served honorably in the United States Air Force. Robert was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Conrad Poore and Nanie Elizabeth Poore of Carthage, TX, sister, Claire Sue Poore also of Carthage, TX, former wife, Lula Marie Poore. He is survived by his wife, Dortha White Poore; Princess Grace "Gracie", his loving kitty cat; daughter, Mary Catherine Gray and husband Dan of Cypress, TX; son, Robert Michael Poore of Houston, TX; and daughter Karen Elizabeth Stephens and husband Ray, along with Robert's only grandson Ethan Rhys Stephens all from Lamesa, TX; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Visitation will be held at Forest Park Westheimer on Monday, Nov. 3rd from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Funeral service will be held in the main chapel of Forest Park at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, November 4th. Interment will immediately follow. Serving as pallbearers: Bryan Matthew Stevenson, Justin Ryan Stevenson, Derek Christopher Stevenson, Brian Molsberry, Charles Molsberry and Kyle Kilway.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18