The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Robert (Bob) Bland Jr., 84, of Mauriceville, passed away on Tuesday, March 20, at his home surrounded by his loving family. Services to honor his life will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at Claybar Funeral Home in Orange.

Officiating will be Kevin Brown, pastor of First Baptist Church of Mauriceville. Interment will follow services at Evergreen Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, at the funeral home in Orange.

Bob was born on Nov. 15, 1927, to his parents, Robert Sr. and Eva (Shultz) Bland. He was a lifelong resident of Orange and graduated from Orange High School in 1944. In 1945, he attended McNeese Junior College where at age 18 he was the American Press Most Valuable Player. He also served in the 82^nd Airborne as a Paratrooper earning the rank of Sergeant.

His early career was spent working at Texaco, then at Firestone Polymer where he retired after 3Oyears. His hobbies included many rounds of golf, maintaining his property that has been in the Bland family for over 100 years, and he was an avid storyteller who loved to share stories of his family and friends and of his childhood growing up in Orange.

Bob is preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Jimmy Bland; and his mother-in-law, Imogene Darby.

Those who will most cherish his memory is his wife of 27 years, Zilda (Darby) Bland of Mauriceville; sons, Robert Bland, III and wife, Lisa, Joe Adkins and wife, Betty of Poquoson, VA; daughters, Melissa (Scarlet) Bland of Basalt, CO, Jamie Juneau and husband, Leslie of Bridge City, and Lori Coyle and husband, Mack of Bethel Springs, TN.

Other survivors include sister-in-laws, Geraldine Ford and husband, Johnny, Lattie Jo Heflin and husband, Bob; and brother-in-law, Jack Darby and wife, Sharon; grandchildren, Aiyana, Carley, Chelsea, Kara, Damon, Mandy, Jeremiah, Elizabeth, Sara, Abigail, Isaiah, Sharon, Abraham, Hannah, Jesse (Luke), Amadee, and Dathan; and 19 great-grandchildren.

Also surviving him is a host of extended family friends.

The family would like to extend a special thanks to his nurses, Mia and Deborah of River City Hospice.

Serving as Pallbearers will be Amadee Juneau, Dathan Juneau, Jeremiah Coyle, James Bean, Nathaniel Welch, and Gary Marshall.