Robert Lewis Dabney Jr.

He was born on the 7th of May 1931, in Houston, Texas, to Christe Storey Dabney and Robert Lewis Dabney. He was a lifelong resident with the exception of time away in school and in the U.S. Army.

As a boy, he attended River Oaks Elementary School and Sidney Lanier Junior High School. He then attended Woodberry Forest School in Orange, Virginia, his father’s alma mater, where he became a Prefect, was Virginia State Champion Preparatory School Pole Vaulter, and graduated in 1949. He received a B.A. Degree from the University of Virginia in 1953, where he was the first Spanish Major, a member of Saint Anthony Hall Fraternity (Delta Psi), and graduated Cum Laude. He then attended the University of Texas School of Law where he was a member of Delta Theta Phi Legal Fraternity and received an L.L.B. Degree in 1956.

After graduation, he worked as a Staff Attorney in the Legal Department of Gulf Oil Corporation for eight years. Upon leaving Gulf, he entered the general practice of civil law, including trial law, real estate, probate, family law, corporate and oil and gas law in Houston, beginning with Austin & Dabney and ending with Dabney & Pappas.

During his 60 year legal career, he also served on the State Bar Grievance Committee, and the History Committee of the Houston Bar, where he wrote numerous articles for The Houston Lawyer and served as Chairman. In addition, he was a staunch advocate for the preservation of the Historical Records of Harris County, he served as President of the Houston Kidney Foundation, and was on the Board of the Heart Association.

He was a Major in the U. S. Army, serving on active duty as an amphibious landing craft platoon leader. After his active duty, he continued to serve in the Army Reserves as an Executive Officer of the 719 Railway Operating Battalion until 1964, when he received his Honorable Discharge.

For some 30 years he managed and owned interests in ranches in both East Texas and South Texas totaling some 12,500 acres of land on which he ran some 1,000 head of cattle. He was an avid hunter, fisherman and horseman and dearly loved the outdoors.

He was active in boy scouting virtually all of his life and became an Eagle Scout in Troup 55 in Houston in 1946 and spent over 50 years in various scouting programs. He was a Pack Master, Scout Master, Explorer Advisor, Commissioner, and District Chairman of the Golden Arrow District, the Buffalo District and on the Sam Houston Area Advisory Council. He holds the Advanced Training Award, the Scout Master’s Key, the Silver Beaver District Award of Merit and the Godfather Award of the Golden Arrow District. He was a three-bead Woodbadger and a member of the Order of the Arrow.

He was a pilot for over 20 years, owned and flew a Cessna 180, and was appointed Commissioner of the Texas Civil Air Patrol by Gov. Dolph Brisco. He was a Director of the Board of Trustees of the Texas Ranger Association Foundation in Waco from 1983 to 2016. Many of his friends were law enforcement officers, including Texas Game Wardens, Sheriffs, and Rangers, many of whom he met in his ranching operations. He was a member of the Tejas Vaqueros for 29 years, and on the Board of Trustees of Glenwood Cemetery, one of Houston’s most historic cemeteries, for over 40 years. There he was Chairman of the Historical Committee and was actively involved in assembling historical data for a book publication. He was on both the Steer and Speakers Committees of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and was a lifetime Committeeman. He was a Texas Parks and Wildlife Certified Hunting Education Instructor for over 17 years. He was a Director of the Museum of Southern History in Sugar Land, Texas. He was a member of Allegro and numerous civic and social clubs and organizations and has given many speeches on Texas and Southern History, as well as Hispanic History of Texas. He was a York Rite Mason, a Knight Templar, and a 32nd Degree Scots Rite Mason in the Rising Star Lodge at Center Point, Texas. He was a lifelong Episcopalian and member of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church.

He was the great grandson of Dr. Robert Lewis Dabney, who was Chief-of-Staff for General T.J. “Stonewall” Jackson during one period of the War between the States, and who was one of the original 12 full Professors of the University of Texas in 1883. On his mother’s side, he was the great grandson of Leonidas Jefferson Storey, a Lieutenant in XBD Debray’s Brigade, CSA in the War between the States, who also served in the Reconstruction Legislature of the State of Texas and was Lieutenant Governor of Texas under Governor Oran M. Roberts, and later, Second Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission after the death of John H. Reagan. His great, great grandfather and two great uncles on the Storey side of the family served as Texas Rangers under the John Coffee Hays Regiment. The Storey family came to Gonzales, Texas in 1845.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his two sons, Robert L. Dabney, III and James Storey Dabney, each of prior marriages to Faye S. Dabney and Susan S. Gillespie, respectively; his aunt, Hildegarde Storey Journeay (George B.); and their daughter, Ann Journeay Peake (David W.); his aunt, Eugenia Dabney Harris (David W.); and his uncle, Charles William Dabney (Julia V.).

He is survived by his loving wife of 38 years, Judith Anderson Dabney; son, John Nelson Dabney; step-sons, Dick Hoskins Gregg, III and Christopher Anderson Gregg (Mitzi Stoll); grandson, James Storey Dabney, Jr.; step-grandchildren, Parker P. Gregg, William A. Gregg, Casey L. Gregg, Emma K. Gregg and Miranda Perez, all of whom he dearly loved. He is also survived by his cousins, Robin Peake Stuart (Alexander D.) and their children, David W. Peake, Jr. and his children, Susan Storey Peake, Elizabeth Dabney Charles (Ernest), Anne Dabney Moriniere (John C.) and their children, and Charles W. Dabney, Jr. (Judy S.) and their children.

The family will gather for a private inurnment at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston.

Arrangements for a memorial service are pending and will be announced at a later date. In the interim, you may opt to receive updated information by selecting the "Receive Notifications" icon below.

Those honored to serve as honorary pallbearers are James A. Baker III, William K. Bruce, George W. Dorrance “Bubba,” F. Carrington Weems, Butch Strunk, Mike Kelly, J. Perry “Hap” Hunnicutt III, Kitch Taub, Gus Pappas, David W. Peake, Jr., Denman Heard, Tom Conner, George Gayle and Ben Shields.

In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions may be directed to the Texas Ranger Association Foundation, 104 Texas Ranger Trail, Waco, Texas 76706; or to St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road, Houston, Texas 77056.