Robert “Bobby” Roush Vance, 83, died on April 3, 2025, at his home near Oakalla.
Funeral services will be held at Sneed-Carnley Funeral Chapel in Lampasas at 2 p.m. on April 12. Visitation will be held an hour prior, from 1-2 p.m. Burial will follow at Smith Cemetery on FM 963 in Oakalla.
Bobby was born on July 25, 1941, in Refugio to John and Gertrude (White) Vance.
He was raised in Refugio and graduated from Refugio High School in 1959.
After high school, he attended Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, where he met the love of his life, Janie Ruth Wykes. Bobby graduated with a degree in industrial arts with the intention of teaching.
In 1964, he began work for Humble Oil Co./Exxon as a roustabout. In 1970, he moved with his young family to Australia to train Aussies how to operate their country’s first natural gas plant.
He returned to Texas in 1972 and worked at the King Ranch Gas Plant, and in 1976, he returned to Refugio, where he retired with 35 years of service. Bobby made many dear friends in his career with Exxon.
Bobby was a member of Chapel Hill Church in Watson.
Bobby and Janie married in Watson in 1964, and they were married for 61 years.
Bobby was at war with the “cedar bushes” and spent countless hours clearing them with his backhoe. If the sun was out, he wanted to be clearing brush and improving pastures.
Texas history was one of Bobby’s passions, and he built a library of books and maps covering the details of the early days. He loved old things and dealt in antiques prior to moving to Oakalla.
Bobby was preceded in death by his brother, William “Sonny” Vance.
Survivors include his wife, Janie of Oakalla; son, John (Marion) Vance and daughter, Cheryl (Scott) Hibbetts; grandson, Kohl Burkhardt; and granddaughters Leah (Ryan) English and Macy Vance.
Memorial donations may be made to Chapel Hill Church in Watson or the Oakalla Public Library.
