February 18, 2010 - We lost one of our founding members on Friday, February 12. He was there with us from the beginning on board the Yorktown at Patriot's Point, SC. That's where many of us got to know Bob Branch early in our formation of the AD31 Association. He was on the steering committee with me and 20 other AD31 Association pioneers. Wynne and I became good friends of his and Kathy's and there are many memories I have of him that I'll never forget. Things like the joys of telling sea stories over breakfast at the Waffle House with a bunch of crusty old sailors and their devoted wives. And watching him and Kathy coast into a hotel parking lot in their vintage pickup truck that seemed to me as reliable as anything right off the showroom floor. He made sure of that as one of his hobbies. Bob was a good Texan, which, I am told, is the nicest thing you can say about someone who is from Texas and he certainly deserves to have that said about him. He was all that and more - we will miss him terribly.

I spoke with Kathy today via telephone and she suggested that Memorial Donations be made to Thee Hospice (see below).

Bill Cook

Bob's Obituary as it appeared in the
Houston Chronicle:

Funeral services for Robert E. Branch, Sr., age 67, of Buffalo were held at 2:30 PM, Monday, February 15, 2010 at the Walters Funeral Home in Centerville.

He was born July 18, 1942 in Houston, TX and passed away at his home in Buffalo, TX on February 12, 2010. He retired from E.G.C. Corporation in Houston as a production manager. He was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Centerville and had lived in Leon County since 1995. He enjoyed trail riding, old cars, and his tractor. He loved baseball, especially the Astros. He and his wife, Kathy, built their beautiful home in Leon County with their own hands. Mr. Branch always said that his greatest accomplishment was being able to retire in 1995 at the age of 52. He was preceded in death by his parents, Leo and Ruby Dolores (Ballew) Branch.

He is survived by his wife, Kathy Branch of Buffalo; son and daughter-in-law, Robert, Jr. and Anna Branch of Magnolia; three daughters, Laura Ann Thompson and her husband, David, of Hempstead, Veronica Rae Branch of Humble and Robbin Dale Jones of Houston; five sisters, Barbara Ann Galland of Houston, Janice Cimerhanzel of Shiner, Peggy Bacak of Coldsprings, Charlotte Livanec of Houston and Kathy Schifani of Porter; five grandchildren, Robert Branch III, Taylor Branch, Christopher Murray, Travis Thompson and David Thompson and one great grandchild, Hayden Dell Murray.

Memorial donations may be made as follows:

THEE Hospice
714 E. Commerce
Fairfield, TX 75840
Phone: (903) 389-9821