Robert Hodges "Bob" Stamport

Robert Hodges “Bob” Stamport, 78, passed away Thursday, July 30, 2015.  Bob was born July 1, 1937 in Gonzales to Robert Stamport and Alma Hodges Stamport.  He graduated from Gonzales High School and was a member of the Gonzales Elks Lodge B.P.O.E.  Bob married Patsy G. Baker on August 17, 1963 in the Wrightsboro Baptist Church.

Bob grew up near the Greenwood area of Gonzales County.  He spent much of his youth hunting and fishing with his cousin Wayne Hodges.  He had a tremendous work ethic, even as a young man he always held a job.  After high school he went to work for the Highway Department in Port Lavaca mowing right of ways.  It was not long before Bob worked his way into the office as a payroll clerk.  He would come back home to Gonzales on the weekends for National Guard duty where he served as a medical trainer.  On one of these return trips to Gonzales a mutual friend introduced him to Patsy Baker and the weekend trips to fulfill his National Guard duty took on a whole new perspective.  He and Patsy continued to date on weekends after his duties had been fulfilled with the National Guard.  Bob moved to Gonzales and took a job with GVEC as a work order clerk.  Patsy graduated from high school early and she and Bob married in 1963.  They bought a place in Wrightsboro to live and raise cattle and in 1964 they built two chicken breeder houses all the while both he and Patsy were working full time jobs in town.  It was then Patsy and Bob started their family.  A principle that Bob was committed too was work hard to get what you need not necessarily what you want. Bob worked faithfully at GVEC for nearly 43 years all the while working his land, cattle and breeder houses in his spare time.  He retired from GVEC as its comptroller. Bob lived an example of a good man for his children and grandchildren to follow.  He set the standard of a man, husband, father and a “gramps” by his example.  Though some folks called him Big Bad Bob because he didn’t talk much and when he did speak he meant every word, Bob was actually a warm, loving, compassionate man.  He loved Patsy, his children, grandchildren and his daughters-in-law were loved as if they were one of his own children.  Bob enjoyed taking his family to the beach on vacations and success fishing and hunting wasn’t measured by how many fish were caught or if somebody harvested a deer, it was the quality of the time spent together that he treasured.  He loved his trips to Las Vegas and Coushatta that he shared with Patsy.  While planting oats in the pasture with his children gathered around each with a now bare lollipop in their mouths, Bob instructed them to push that bare lollipop stem in the ground and come back the next day, they did and that part of the oat field was laden with fresh colorful lollipops.  That was their dad, that was Bob, a hardworking family man who still had the time and love in his heart to make lollipops grow in an oat field.

                  Robert Hodges Stamport is survived by his loving wife of nearly 52 years, Patsy Stamport of Gonzales, his adoring daughter, Sheila Stamport Johnson and Kenneth Bujnoch of Hallettsville, his devoted twin sons and daughters-in-law, Shelby Blake Stamport and Shelly of Gonzales, Shawn David Stamport and Heather of Gonzales, his cherished grandchildren, Case Johnson, Dakota Stamport, Bradley Stamport, Wyatt Johnson, Madison Stamport, Emily Stamport and Jolee Bujnoch.  He was preceded in death by his parents and an infant brother.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, August 3, 2015 in Seydler-Hill Funeral Home with Rev. Todd craven officiating.  Interment will follow in Greenwood Cemetery.  Pallbearers:  David Gast, Jr., George Jurek, Tinker Brown, Scott Moeller, Brian Buesing, Darrell Malik, Todd Bright, and Egon Barthels.  Honorary Pallbearers: Chase Johnson, Dakota Stamport, Bradley Stamport, and Wyatt Johnson.  The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, August 2, 2015 in the funeral home.  Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association or the charity of one’s choice.  Services are under the care and direction of Seydler-Hill Funeral Home.