Robert Richard Donley
September 25, 1939 ~ October 28, 2024

Robert (Bob) Richard Donley, 85, of Valley Mills, Texas, passed away on October 28, 2024, at home. Born on September 25, 1939, to Charles Robert and June Lathrop Donley. He spent his early years in Michigan including Bay City, Tawas City and East Tawas.

He loved being on the water and on the snow. He was a National Ski Patrolman and loved it. He attended Wayne State University in the ROTC program. Bob joined the United States Air Force in 1962 was part of the Honor Guard at Tinker Air Force Base, OK. His love for journalism began there. He served for 5 years and then headed south to Texas.

He married Carol Dee Burkett on June 19, 1971, in Graham, Texas. He wrote for the Arlington Citizen Journal and then went on to have a career in sales. They had two children, Kimberly Kaye and Alison Anne. He married Karen Freel Donley on December 26, 1988. Bob was a member of Alcoholics Anonymous since May 1982. His true love was to be on a sailboat on a great windy day or talking about his former days of racing his numerous British Racing Cars; to include his Triumph, Mini-Cooper and Austin Healey.

He was preceded in death by both his parents, Charles Robert and June Lathrop Donley, the girl's mother, Carol and his sister, Charla Allen. He is survived by his wife, Karen Donley, his two daughters Kimberly Donley Garner (Nicholas) and Alison Donley. Two granddaughters, Bailey Anne and Blair Louise, niece,  Christana Fisher and three granddogs that he loved.

We would like to thank Alice, his aide, for all the love and care she provided for our dad.

Services provided by Foss Funeral Home in Valley Mills, Texas. A memorial service is pending to be in the D/FW area.

"I shall slip my mooring and sail away. O'er the Unknown Sea to the Unseen Shore." Elizabeth Clark Hardy.

Please join us in remembering  Robert by signing our guestbook at
fossfuneralhome.com