Robert Wayland Hurst Jr.

His early childhood was spent working in the cotton and hay fields of Hagerman and Artesia area of New Mexico. In his early teen years, his family made their way to Yakima, Washington where he was finally able to attend school for a full year. At Washington Jr. High in Yakima, he learned woodworking skills from a beloved teacher that became a life time hobby and impressed upon him the importance of an education.

He attended Yakima (now Davis) High School where he developed talent as a running back for the school football team. He graduated in 1951, with football scholarship offers. He chose to join the U.S. Air Force and served most of four years in the Philippine Islands during the Korean War as a flight engineer on a B-29. After a plane crash in Saigon (then Indo-China), he was discharged in San Antonio. He later received a football scholarship from TCU where he played one year.

Not happy at a large University, he transferred to Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas where he played football until graduation. There he met Charlene Gagliardo of Mesquite, Texas, and they married on New Years Eve of 1957.Upon graduating in 1959, he worked as a teacher and coach in Gustine, Texas for four years.

In 1963, he moved to Mesquite where he taught and coached at Wilkinson Jr. High for nine years.

Bob received his Master's Degree in 1968 and worked at North Mesquite as Dean of Students. He later served as assistant principal at Mesquite High School and summer school principal for MISD until he retired in 1992.

He was active in church and served as a Sunday school teacher and deacon. He loved the outdoors, especially deer hunting, fishing, and camping with family and friends.

Bob was a loving and devoted husband and father of two daughters. He worked hard and was determined to make a good life for his girls.

Robert W. Hurst is survived by wife of 65 years, Charlene Gagliardo Hurst; daughters Traci Hurst Higgins and husband, Chip Higgins, of The Woodlands, Texas; Kristi Hurst Gardner and husband, Kreg Gardner, of Sunnyvale, Texas.

He is survived by seven grandchildren: Robert Higgins, Jeni Gardner Coonrod and husband, Zach Coonrod; Katie Higgins, Sam Higgins, Will Higgins, Emma Gardner, and Madi Gardner.

He is also survived by his youngest sister, Lee (Jinker) Hurst Belt and husband R. K. Belt of Lexington, Kentucky; brothers-in-law, Paschal Gagliardo and wife, Cathy, of College Station; and Ed Gagliardo and wife, Mary, of Garland; along with several nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, R. W. Hurst and Lettie Bennett Hurst; and in-laws Charles Paschal Gagliardo and Pauline Taylor Gagliardo; his sisters, Naomi Tempke, Jada Knight, and Violet Nesary.

The family requests that memorial contributions be made to Mesquite ISD Foundation, Scottish Rite For Children, or a charity of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.andersonclaytongonzalez.com for the Hurst family.