Bobby Drew Whitefield, a sixth-generation Texan, was born July 19, 1938, in rural Ellis County. He graduated from Waxahachie High School in 1956. He received an AA Degree from Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, a BS Degree in Biology and Secondary Education from Texas A&I in Kingsville, and a Master of Arts Degree in Marine Biology from Humboldt State University, Arcata, California. He completed post-graduate work in freshwater Ecology and Biology at Colorado State College in Greeley, Colorado, and at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Bobby began his career as a biology teacher at Tuloso-Midway ISD in Corpus Christi. In 1968, he joined the University of Corpus Christi as a Biology Instructor and later became an Assistant Professor of Biology. He was honored as both Teacher of the Year and Professor of the Year in those positions. In 1972, he joined the Texas Water Quality Board as a training administrator. He remained with the agency for more than 21 years and retired as Director of Special Programs in the Hazardous & Solid Waste Management Division in 1993. After retirement, Bobby was a City Inspector for the City of Dripping Springs and had a business raising specialty habanero peppers. After retiring again, he fulfilled his lifelong dream of moving to Montana. Even though health problems brought him back to Texas, his heart remained in Montana.
At one time, Bobby taught Appalachian clogging in Austin College’s Continuing Education Program. He had his own exhibition teams, the Clickety Cloggers and a traditional exhibition Appalachian clogging team, the Possum-Haw Cloggers. In March 2022, Bobby was inducted into the Texas Clogging Hall of Fame.
Bobby was a BBQ enthusiast and was a member of the International Barbeque Cookers Association and the Lone Star Barbecue Society. He was pit master for the Sons of Brisket BBQ team and had a winning team with Matt Alexander, Manny Salinas, and Stanley Lester.
Bobby was active within several churches: the Libby United Methodist Church (Libby, MT), Libby Church of the Nazarene, John Wesley UMC, and Victoria First Church of the Nazarene. He served in the evangelism ministry, was a Certified Lay Speaker, and served on administrative boards. In addition to church participation, he was a member of the Victoria Police Department’s Civilian Police Academy Alumni Association and the Victoria County Sheriff’s Auxiliary.
Bobby was preceded in death by his parents, George (G.D.) and Mildred Whitefield, and first wife, Janice Jo Weiss Whitefield. Survivors include his wife Susan Suggs Whitefield, sons Michael Whitefield of Dripping Springs and Lance (Jennifer) Whitefield of Austin, grand-daughter Haley Drew of Austin, bonus children Michael (Tanya) Kolar of Palacios, Chris (Jennifer) Bridges of Weesatche, and Marie (Stanley) Lester of Victoria, and bonus grandchildren Kylie, Ceye, Ethan, Dean, Freya, Drew, Dayton, Elo and Devin.
A Celebration of Life will be held at John Wesley Global Methodist Church in Victoria, Texas on June 23, 2025 at 11am. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Victoria County Animal Shelter, Victoria Adopt a Pet, or Dorothy O’Connor Pet Adoption Center.
