Robert Ardney Mclarty

Robert Ardney McLarty, lovingly known as Bob, was born on October 30, 1943, in Winnsboro, Texas to Ben Jack McLarty and Doris Dickey McLarty.

From an early age, Bob couldn’t hide his mischievous side. With those sparkling blue eyes and a contagious laugh, he always entertained his friends with some sort of shenanigans and loved to pretend he was the innocent one when trouble would arise. Growing up in a small East Texas town meant being outside climbing trees, fishing, or hunting. As a young boy, Bob was proud to be a boy scout earning the distinguished honor of Eagle Scout. Hard work was instilled in Bob from the beginning. He spent his teenage years stocking shelves and sweeping at his father’s grocery store, lifeguarding at the pool, and working the soda fountain at Martin’s Drug Store.

One of his biggest honors was being big brother to his little sister, Kathy.

In 1962, after high school, Bob left the small town life for the bright city lights of Austin where he attended The University of Texas. While there, he was a proud member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity and graduated with a finance degree in 1967.

While attending UT, Bob met Cheryl Lyn Harned and the two married after college. Soon after graduating college, he was called to serve his country and joined the United States Marine Corps. In 1968, he went off to train at the Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. In February 1969, Bob left the United States to serve in the Vietnam War. During his deployment his first son, Robert Jr. was born on May 8, 1969. He always enjoyed sharing how he received a telegram letting him know that his son was born. Three years later, they would welcome their second son, Colin.

Although he was not one to brag or boast, it should be known that Bob McLarty was a decorated American hero. During his military career, he became a 1st Lieutenant and received a National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnamese Campaign Medal, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Combat Action Ribbon, RVN Cross of Gallantry, and a Purple Heart Medal.

Bob would go on to have a lifelong career working in the oil field. Over the years he spent time in sales, drilling offshore, working overseas, and as a mud engineer. His job afforded him the opportunity to work in many places around the world like Algeria, Majorca, Nigeria, and Kurdistan and Erbil, Iraq. On his days off, he would go explore the Sahara Desert and search for arrowheads. Bob always said he would take two bottles of water with him on his arrowhead hunt. Once his first bottle of water was empty, he knew it was time to turn around and head back.

In his personal life, Bob’s greatest gift was his family. He was dad to Rob and Colin and later gained four step sons: Bryan, Craig, Kyle, and Todd. Of all his titles, being known as Popo Bob was his favorite. He adored all of his grandchildren: Braden, Blayne, Brett, Brynn, Reese, Charly, Savanna, Garrison, Annabella and Nyxon. You could find him sitting in the stands at one of their baseball games, football games, dance recitals, or any of their special events. To them, their Popo Bob was the greatest storyteller…from telling them how he swallowed a watermelon seed and grew a watermelon in his belly to telling the story about his dog Duke who shut down an entire tennis tournament because he thought all the tennis balls were for him.

Beyond family, Bob’s passions included playing poker with the guys, sipping on a good glass of wine, enjoying Godiva chocolates, and being a history connoisseur. Dancing was for sure not his thing but boy could he twist.

And somewhere in all of this is me, the luckiest girl in the world. I still remember the first time I saw him…suit and tie and clean cut….he was a charmer from the start and I thought to myself, that’s my kind of guy. Becoming a widow at a young age was not something I expected, but Bob showed me that there can be love after loss and brought joy back to my life. I have been proud to be his wife for almost 25 years. Even though our story has been cut short, ours is one that dreams are made of.

Bob is preceded in death by his parents, Ben Jack & Doris McLarty, his beloved sons, Robert McLarty, Jr., and stepson, Todd White. Bob is survived by his wife, Clarice of Cypress, TX; sister, Kathy Mangum & husband Danny of Lindale, TX; son Colin McLarty & spouse Troy Roth of Washington, DC; step-sons, Bryan White & wife Terry of El Campo, TX, Craig White & significant other Gisell of Bastrop, TX, Kyle White & wife Amanda of Cypress, TX; grandsons, Braden McLarty & wife Jordan of Wichita, KS, Blayne White & wife Sarah of Missouri City, TX, Brett White & fiancée Kendall of San Antonio, TX, Garrison Smith & wife Jessica of El Campo, TX; granddaughters, Brynn White of College Station, TX, Reese and Charly White of Cypress, TX, and Savanna Smith of El Campo, TX; great-grandchildren, Annabella and Nyxon McLarty of Wichita, KS; nephew, Brandon Mangum of Cypress, TX; and nieces, Danna Beaty of Winnsboro, TX, and Mia Parrish of Longview, TX.

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