Robert Bobby Casas

Robert ""Bobby"" Casas, 58, of Baytown passed away Monday, March 22, 2010 in Baytown. He was born December 30, 1951 in Austin to his late parents, Israel Casas and Amelia Ybarbo Casas and was the 9th generation descendant of Antonio Gil Ybarbo who was known as the Father of Spanish East Texas and founder of Nacogdoches, the oldest city in Texas.

Bobby, AKA Grandpa, loved his grandsons. They have always been a part of his love of golfing, racing his beloved mustangs, dirt bikes and weekend getaways of fun and adventure. Next to his grandsons were his dogs. Bobby has always had a huge heart for them. Of late, Cato, his German Sheppard, has been his trusty traveling side kick to the Ponderosa. He loved sitting on the back porch of his Ponderosa and watching him and the wildlife wondering all over the back of the property.

The Ponderosa brought out a new side of Bobby. The country life suited him. He learned how to drive a tractor, recognize the different types of birds and learning the types of trees that are on his property. He shared the Ponderosa with his wife, Janie. He and Janie would come up to and share in the beauty of the acreage in the country. They would ride the golf carts on the trails of the property and explore. They also loved traveling unknown roads all over the U.S.

Exxon has been a part of his life for more than 33 years. The friends that he has made over the years are his second family. They have supported him through all his highs and lows throughout his career.

Personally, Bobby was very patriotic and had a huge love of his country and American history. He loved writing music for special occasions and sharing that music with family and friends. The favorite was ""Elvis"" impersonations. It came naturally to him when asked to dress like him and perform at the latest Casas family reunion.

Finally, Bobby, known to his girls as Robert, has had the pleasure of becoming a mentor, father and grandpa. He married Janie when the girls were teenagers. He never knew what hit him. He always supported them in sports, band, cars and boyfriends. The girls made him very proud when he officially adopted them to be his own. A college education was of utmost importance and he worked lots of overtime at Exxon to make sure that they were able to go where they wanted. When he became a grandpa, it was the proudest moment of his life. He was a very loving and attentive grandparent.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Amy Casas Gonzales and brothers, Johnny Ybarbo and Rudy Casas.

Survivors include his wife, Jane Casas of Baytown; daughters, Lisa Waggett and her husband Robert of League City and Melanie Sambilay and her husband Arce of Baytown; grandchildren, Dustin Perez, Cody Waggett, Johnathan Sambilay and Anthony Sambilay; sisters, Rosie Rocha and her husband Tano, Linda Valery and her husband John and Sylvia Harden and her husband Buddy; brothers, Ralph Casas and his fiancé' Shelee, Ricky Casas, Rubin Casas, Victor Ybarbo, Israel Casas and Raymond Casas and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, March 27, 2010 at the Navarre Funeral Home with Pastor R. Michael Naron officiating with visitation the same morning at 9:00 a.m.

In lieu of usual remembrances, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105 USA or to the MS150 at www.nationalmssociety.org where his oldest daughter, Lisa Waggett, will be riding from Houston to Austin in his honor.

Arrangements are under the direction of Navarre Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 2444 Rollingbrook Drive, Baytown, Texas 77521, (281) 422-8111.

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