Bob George Liska

Bob George Liska was born on February 19, 1928 to Josef and Filomena (Svehlak) Liska on the Family Farm outside of Ennis, Texas, being the youngest of five children. He passed away peacefully at home on December 01, 2025 in Dallas, Texas. He was 97 years of age.

Bob grew up on the Family Farm on Creechville Road, about six miles outside of Ennis, Texas. He was a true country boy experiencing things like raising animals for family consumption, working the fields and riding a pony or horse drawn buggy into town for gatherings, church, family visits and shopping. Bob experienced the Great Depression as a young boy, but never knew that life was a hardship since basic simple needs were being met and everyone else was having the same experiences. Having grown up with tremendous “frugality” meant that the rest of his life would be impacted by such idealism. The many lessons of being self-sufficient, bartering for supplies, not being afraid of hard work and having faith in God would carry him through the entire rest of his life.

Bob attended the Lone Oak School for his elementary years to which he would walk whenever he didn’t have to stay at home to work on the farm. As a teenager, he moved into town to live part time with his brother Joe Liska and wife Mary in order to be able to attend the St. John’s Catholic School from which he graduated in 1945.

Upon graduating from high school, at the age of 17 , Bob enlisted into the US Army Air Corp which was the predecessor to the US Air Force. He served from September 1945 until receiving an honorable discharge in 1947 as the country was in peacetime. Under the GI bill, he then attended Texas A&M University for one year before transferring to the University of Houston; from which he would graduate in 1952 with a BS Degree in Industrial Engineering and a minor in the Czech Language.

His work career would span from 1952 until around 1995 with different jobs including a machine operator, in a machine shop at places like LTV company and Ruberoid Roofing Co. in the early years, and finally ending up at Pollock Paper Co. for 27 years as a production scheduler. Bob never really retired, as he served coexisting part time as a sales Agent for RVOS Insurance Co. for almost 50 years, until leaving that role when he was nearly 80 years old.

Bob met Sadie Slovacek at the wedding of Johnny Mensik in October 1951. Sadie was a bridesmaid in the wedding and Bob asked her to dance. They parted ways and then with Bob’s persistence they began seeing each other, and after he graduated from the University of Houston in 1952 they got engaged and eventually married on May 26,1953.

Between December 1954 and June 1966 they welcomed six children – Sadie, Bobby, David, Jimmy, Carol and Janet.

From 1953 until 1964 Bob and Sadie made their home on Wadsworth in South Dallas. Bob worked at his regular job and supplemented his income by raising chickens for eggs, as well as processed them for the freezer, and began his sales agent/appraiser career with RVOS Insurance. Sadie stayed at home to raise the children and supplemented their income by sewing new clothes and repairing clothes for neighbors and friends as she was an excellent seamstress. In unison, they managed to save enough money to build their new house in East Dallas and make it their permanent residence from 1964 until their passing.

Bob was a member of numerous social, non-profit fraternal and professional organizations including; KJT Society #111, RVOS Lodge 142, SPJST Lodge 84 and Polka Lovers Klub of America (P O L K of A).

Bob’s study of the Czech language deepened not only his understanding of the language but of the traditions, stories and songs that were the heart of the Czech identity. Bob loved to dance polkas and waltzes and promoted the continued performance of the Czech dance known as the Beseda. Bob’s father, Josef Liska, was teaching the Beseda to many of the Czechs in the Ennis area beginning in the 1930’s. The dance is still regularly performed today by numerous groups.

Besides being an excellent dancer he was also a wonderful singer. Through his love of music he became the director of the Dallas Czech Singers for 35 years, leading the group in preserving and performing traditional Czech music. He also helped to coordinate the publishing of the Czech songbook, Pisnicky Ceske, (“Czech Songs”) a coordination of over 100 Czech songs compiled by the Dallas Czech Singers.

Bob never passed up an opportunity to sit and converse or sing in Czech with those who were able to do so especially where there was a cold “pivo” involved.

In 1969 Bob and Sadie bought a 58 acre farm near Ennis. Dad loved being at the farm and spent days there every week for nearly 50 years. He loved to work the land. Bob had a knack for hoeing in the garden, and it seemed as though his hoe was just an extension of his arm. He loved just being outside and really used the farm to his benefit with providing vast amounts of vegetables and fruits for his family from multiple gardens. Bob and Sadie groomed the farm into a place that is still enjoyed by the family today.

His annual klobase making session was something that he really cherished, especially in his later years, as it was a way to spend time with some relatives that meant so much to him. They helped him to make his recipe of klobase and when the work was done, there was plenty of idle time to chat, share memories and an occasional schlook of Slivovice.

The family were members of Holy Cross Catholic Church in the beginning. Moving to St. Bernard in the 1960’s and ultimately Bob and Sadie ending up at St. Pius X for the last 25 years. They provided 72 years total of Catholic education to the six children between Holy Cross, St. Bernard and Bishop Lynch High School.

Bob is preceded in death by his loving wife of 71 years, Sadie; his parents, Josef and Filomena (Svehlak) Liska; Brothers Joe (wife Mary), Stanley (wife Cecelia), Frank (wife Dolores), sister Betty Landsfeld (husband Wesley); in-law parents Emil and Sadie (Dusek) Slovacek; brothers-in law Emil and Marvin Slovacek, sister in-law Angie Slovacek and his granddaughter Kristine Erin Liska. Having lived to 97 years of age he was also preceded in death by a number of nieces and nephews.

He is survived by six children; Sadie Bell and husband Rusty, Bobby J Liska, David Liska and wife Diane, Jimmy Liska and wife Theresa, Carol Scott and husband Clint, Janet Songer and husband Scott. Grandchildren – TJ Bell (Brianna), Adam Bell , Jarrod Norton (Mary), Nathan Liska (Ashley), Sherry Miller (Tim), Ashley Colunga (Jordan), Matthew Chappel (Jennifer), Elizabeth Goldman (Ernest), Cody Scott (Kate), Cassidy Scott, Carson Scott, Landry Songer (Claire) and Gabriel Songer ; Great-Grandchildren Shawn Norton, Kaylee Norton, Braden Miller, McKinley Miller, Sydney Miller, Brox Colunga, Lowe Colunga, Addison Bell, Hudson Bell, Peyton Goldman, Bennett Chappel and Ian Chappel; numerous nieces, nephews and family friends.

A visitation will take place at Grove Hill Funeral Home, located at 3920 Samuell Blvd, Dallas, TX 75228, on December 7, 2025, from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Following the visitation, a Rosary will be held at the same location from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for December 9, 2025, at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church, 401 E Lampasas St, Ennis, TX 75119, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, 300 S. Jeter Dr, Ennis, TX 75119, from 11:30 am to 12:00 pm.