Bobby Gray Barton

June 8, 1936 - August 7, 2024

Bobby Gray Barton passed peacefully from this life into his eternal home in the Lord on August 7, 2024 in Waco, Texas. He was surrounded in love from his children, granddaughters, and cat Miss Emma, thoughts and prayers from family and friends, as well as compassionate care and attentiveness from the care friends and staff at his residence at the Arbor House.

Funeral service will be 11 AM Tuesday, August 13, 2024, at the Valley Mills First Baptist Church.  Visitation will be 1 hour prior to the service at the church.  Interment will be in the Valley Mills Cemetery with full military honors.  Masonic honors will also be presented at that time.

Bobby was born June 8, 1936, in Handley, Texas to William Cloud Barton and Zavala Bell Swift Barton. He was 7th in the birth order of 9 children, the younger siblings being twins. He lived in several places in Texas throughout his childhood and teenage years and graduated from Cleburne High School in 1955. After graduation he worked in the Metroplex area at Bell Helicopter and Chance Vought Aircraft Company.

Bobby was drafted into the United States Army in 1959. He served in the US Army for 30 years, in Helicopter Mechanics and Military Intelligence (ASA/INSCOM) attaining the rank of Command Sergeant Major. Among his awards in the US army are the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Bronze Star Medal, and Legion of Merit. In addition to serving in the military, Bobby was a Freemason AF & AM, 32° past master, member of M. Denton Stanford Lodge #594, Lorena, TX.

Throughout his life, Bobby maintained a strong connection with family and friends. He practiced hospitality and generosity, loving people for who they are and not what they do. He served humanity as hands and feet of Christ, his Lord, living out "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Whether with family, friends, troops in the military, commanding officers, during duty and retirement, he lived with humility, as he did not boast in his rank or social status but looked out for the dignity and welfare of others, saying, "we are all God's children." He was a member of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, and enjoyed being a part of their worship and welcoming fellowship at the Waco SDA Church.

Bobby is preceded in death by his parents William and Zavala Bell Barton, his siblings and their spouses Billie (Sydney) Heath, Lura (Art) Williams, Joe (Louise) Barton, Jack (Pat) Barton, Jerry (Charlene) Barton, Pete (Francis) Barton, Sidney (Sharon) Barton, his sister Linda Harris, son Larry Barton, and some nieces and nephews. He is survived by his son David Barton, daughter Jeanenne Barton (Sergio) Bezerra, Jonathan (Nichelle) Barton, granddaughters Alina Bezerra & Lia Bezerra, brother-in-law Rex Harris (spouse of sister Linda), nieces & nephews, great nieces & nephews, and his companion cat Miss Emma.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

*A heartful of thanks goes to the care friends at Arbor House of Waco for continual loving care in Bobby's years of residence. They cared for him with tenderness as toward a grandfather. The care friends, administration, and other staff got to know him, saw to it that he had what he needed. He often told Jeanenne, "They are courteous to me" and "They take good care of me."

*Rebecca Rauch with Physio Plus was a tremendous asset for Bobby's care as his physical therapist. She aided him to live with dignity and less pain in his daily life. He would tell Jeanenne, "We have a good rapport."

*Interim Hospice was an important part of the past year of Bobby's life. The team visited him, regularly, taking time to be with him and meeting needs of comfort care, including physical, mental, and spiritual. The family appreciates that Bobby was able to live in his apartment to the end, where he wanted to be.

Bobby Barton Memorial Video

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