Robert D. (Bob) Hoepner, 89, of Orange, Texas, passed away on December 20, 2024, in Silsbee.
A memorial gathering for friends and family who wish to celebrate Bob’s life will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 13, 2025, at the Old Orange Cafe, 914 Division Avenue, Orange, TX 77630.
Bob was born on April 7, 1935, in Greenfield, Iowa, to William Theodore Hoepner and Alma Mensing Hoepner. He was a gifted athlete, lettering in football, basketball, and track at Greenfield High School. Following graduation and a semester at the University of Iowa, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served for three years and reached the rank of sergeant.
Bob moved to Beaumont, Texas, in 1957 and began working as a carpenter, building houses in the Golden Triangle area. He also attended Lamar State College of Technology, first at night and then full-time, graduating in 1963 with B.S. degrees in mathematics and electrical engineering. Bob was then employed by E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company for 30 years, first in Old Hickory, Tennessee, and then at the Sabine River Works in Orange, retiring in 1993.
He served on the board of DuPont SRW Employees Federal Credit Union from 1994 to 2005 and on the board of trustees of LifeShare Blood Centers from 1992 to 2018, as well as being a member of the Orange Lions Club from 1980 to 1995. In later years, he did volunteer work at Shangri La Botanical Gardens & Nature Center.
Bob and his wife, Dottie, traveled regularly in the U.S., Canada, and England, and were both longtime members of the Beaumont Interfaith Choral Society. Bob was an avid golfer and spent countless hours woodworking, building furniture and other useful items. A great many of his creations were made with lumber from a black walnut tree that once stood in the front yard of his childhood home in Iowa.
What people may remember most, however, was his delight in telling jokes to everyone he met. Rarely would a day pass without Bob having a new—and often groan-worthy—joke to share.
Bob was predeceased by his parents and three siblings: Ernest William Hoepner, Ruby Irene Thomsen, and Doris Maxine Fouts. He is survived by his wife of almost 50 years, Dottie Jo Sage Hoepner; a sister, Elsie May Tague; two children from a previous marriage, son Kyle Robert Hoepner and daughter Sheri Christine Hoepner Giles; two grandchildren, Cody and Amber Giles; and many nieces and nephews.
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