Robert (Bob, Bobby) William Sanner, of Vilonia, Arkansas, passed away the afternoon of Friday, Feb. 4, 2022. He was 87.
He was born in Doniphan, Missouri to Ray L. and Nettie Sanner on April 14, 1934. A short service will be held March 21, 2022, at the Cotrell Willow Ridge Funeral Home in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Family visitation is from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and the service from 11 a.m. to noon followed by an inurnment at the Poplar Bluff City Cemetery.
Bob is survived by his wife, Patricia Marlin Sanner; four children, Robert (Rob) L. Sanner (Joann Jaramillo) of Edgewater, Colorado, Barbara (Dede) Marshall and daughter, Kathleen (Joshua) and children, John, Thomas and Josh of Clarksburg, Maryland, Cheryl (CJ) Strawn and children, Jesse and Samantha of Columbia, Missouri, Stewart Sanner and children, Jordan and Lauren, also of Columbia, his stepdaughter, Pamela Bryan (Mike), her daughter, Laura Walker (David), and children, Daelyn, Kody, Blake and Davis, his nephew, Alan Sanner (Elaine), and many other cousins, relatives and close friends.
Bob was married to Barbara Lowe in 1956 and they were blessed with four children, Robby, Dede, Cheryl and Stewart. He married Patricia Marlin in June of 1982 and together they built a life of love for each other and their melded families for the next 40 years.
Bob attended high school in Poplar Bluff and played basketball for the Mules during his time there. He attended Westminster College in 1952 where he made deep and lifelong friendships with his fellow Phi Delta Theta brothers. He left school for two years and drove a tractor trailer for a lumber company, returning to Westminster and becoming president of Phi Delta Theta, eventually completing his degree at Arkansas State University. He has attended many Westminster class reunions and he and his wife Pat have been instrumental in coordinating his high school class reunion over the years, as his fellow classmates from both schools hold a special place in his heart.
He served as a Battle Group Dispatcher of the U.S. 12 Infantry in the Army in Germany after college. Very proud of his time in the service, the Army flag still flies in front of his and Pat’s home along with the American and Arkansas flags.
Bob worked for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission for many years before retiring from his Director of Training position in 2001. He was loved and respected as a leader who brought many new industries to the State. He was also a valued member of the National Association of Industry Specific Training Directors.
Throughout his life he owned and managed bowling lanes, dabbled in the manufacture and delivery of ice, insurance sales, tire recapping, owned an International Harvester dealership, and ran beef cattle. It seemed he was always fixing fence lines, chasing escaped cattle, rebuilding engines or repairing his cars, boats, or a host of other machinery. He also developed a passion for flying as a young man that led him to obtain his pilot’s license and eventually purchase a 4-seat Navion plane that he enjoyed flying for years.
Bob loved sports, playing basketball and softball in his early years, and waterskiing from a young age until his 60s. He was an avid golfer and took up snow skiing at age 58. He loved skiing with his nephew Alan and his four children, last skiing during his 80th year! He also enjoyed many camping and river trips on the Eleven Point, Jacks Fork, Current, and the Buffalo rivers with Alan and his children. Over the last 20 years he orchestrated treasured summer trips with his kids and grandkids at Bull Shoals Lake and other outdoor venues.
He was often described as being a “character” and never knowing a stranger. He and Pat touched the lives of many young people who helped them out on the farm, and could always be counted on for solid advice, a great smile, and entertaining stories. He will be deeply missed by his loving family and friends.
The “Sanner Memorial Scholarship Fund” has been started at Westminster College for Phi Delta Theta students in his honor. Donations may be made to Westminster College, 501 Westminster Avenue, Fulton Missouri, 65251 or WCMO.edu. Please note “Sanner Memorial Scholarship” on the donation.