William George Robb

Bill Robb of Katy, TX joined the house of our Heavenly Father on July 31, 2017 after fighting cancer.Bill was born in Houston on April 27, 1948 to William Gorenflo Robb (deceased) and Mary Eleanor Robb. He is preceded in death by his wife of over 36 years, Colleen Kay Robb. Bill will also rejoin his sister and fellow cancer fighter, Mary Elaine Aragona in heaven. He is survived by his children Phillip Jenson Robb and Monica Meghan Robb; his brother John Robb and his wife Carol Robb; his brother-in-law Robert Aragona; and brother-in-law Paul Jenson and his wife Gay Jenson; his daughter-in-law Julie Arnold Robb; his nephew Keith Aragona; his niece Michelle Aragona Nicholls; his niece Amanda Todd; his niece Carrie Todd Hunter; as well as numerous cousins.Bill grew up in Corpus Christi and graduated from Corpus Christi College Academy in 1966. He went on to graduate from St. Mary’s University and Law School in San Antonio. He earned a BBA in Business Administration from St. Mary’s, and a LLM in International and Economic Law from the University of Houston.

Family and friends would tell you, Bill was one of the kindest, most thoughtful, and fair-minded individuals you ever met. He had an eye for fine details and a meticulous nature when it came to his work. Always eager to expand his wealth of knowledge, Bill read constantly. In addition to the passion he had for learning, he loved sport. During school, Bill tested his skill in both football as well as track and field. He was also deeply fond of fishing, scuba diving, and the Gulf Coast he knew so well.Bill was a member of ROTC and then the Army Reserve. By the grace of God, he missed having to deploy to Vietnam. Armed with a well of knowledge, Bill joined the ranks of the oil industry like so many in Houston. He worked at both at Marathon Oil Company and later Conoco in their legal departments.In Houston, Bill met the love of his life, Colleen Kay Jenson. The devoted pair married in 1978. First child, Phillip, followed in 1982. Second child, Monica, completed the happy family in 1985. The family moved to what would be their permanent home of Katy, TX in 1987.In the summer of 1990, while at Conoco, Bill and his family moved to Stavanger, Norway for a three-year stint. It was one of the longest and most immersive of his assignments. They settled among fellow oil company ex-patriots during a boom time in Scandinavia's petroleum industry. While living in Norway, the family was exposed to much of Western Europe. Time within the ex-pat community afforded the Robbs life-long friends of different nationalities. After a time of discovery and growth, they returned to Katy, TX.Bill traveled to many more countries. Through both the oil industry and private practice he worked on large projects in Trinidad & Tobago, The Republic of Georgia, Ukraine and others. Bill had a knack for graciously helping and working with people of all faiths and cultures.In Katy, TX, Bill applied his talents for service to the community. He was an active member of the Rotary Club. He also served on the Governing Board of Aristoi Classical Academy. He serves as sacristan at Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church.Bill had a wide and wonderful sense of humor. With a twinkle in his eye, he could rattle off anything from clever pun, to classic joke, to a wonderfully goofy story. A passionate man who was a deep thinker, Bill could be as perfectly content yelling at his favorite sports teams’ latest terrible move, as he could be sitting at home reading and self-reflecting for hours on end by the window.His faith and family were tested after wife, Colleen, fell ill for an extended period of time. Her ultimate passing in 2015 wounded the family deeply, but his deep spiritual-connection helped everyone heal and soldier forward.Bill looked forward aiding his children in the future and helping them navigate the same trials of adulthood he faced himself. However, life and God had other plans. In early 2017 Bill was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He vowed to fight and started chemo therapy. While his spirit was willing, his body had a hard time dealing with the effects of treatment. Following ups and downs of recovery and rehabilitation facilities, Bill entered into hospice care in late July. After returning home, acute turns in condition caused Bill to let go of his earthly body. Bill passed at home late on the morning of July 31, 2017. His last words were, “I’m ready to go now.”If you spent any amount of time around Bill Robb, you knew he had a heart matched by few. His sense of service called him to always be ready at a moment’s notice. His sense of family called him to sacrifice most for his loved ones. And his sense of love called him to serve the Lord and strangers as he did his community of family and friends.Bill’s loss came far sooner than anyone wanted or expected. We take solace in the fact his discomfort has ended. We know he is overjoyed to once again be with his beloved Colleen. We also know God is happy to have the help. God appears to be really busy right now. And we are sure Colleen is pressing God hard to clean up the world. If anything can calm Colleen, it is surely the patience, humor, and love of Bill. In lieu of flowers, charitable contributions can be made in Bill’s memory to St. Mary's University in San Antonio. Contributions can also be made to help fight pancreatic cancer at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

“The ones that love us never really leave us. You can always find them…”

–J.K. Rowling

A reception will begin at 5pm on Thursday, August 10th, 2017 at Earthman Funeral Home Southwest, 12555 S Kirkwood Rd, Stafford, TX 77477. A vigil and rosary follow at 7pm.A funeral mass will start at 11am on Friday, August 11th, 2017 at Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church, 1530 Norwalk Dr, Katy, TX 77450. Gravesite ceremony shall follow at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery, 6900 Lawndale St, Houston, TX 77023.