Robert Lee Hudspeth

On March 13, 1931, the Reverend Robert Lee Hudspeth was born in Limestone County, Mexia, Texas. His mother Ernestine Hobbs entrusted his rearing to his adopted parents Lela and Joseph Hudspeth with whom he would later live with in Houston, TX.

As a child, he attended Sandy Methodist Community Church with his grandfather and grandmother Arthur and Dicee Hobbs, where he initiated his love and acceptance of Jesus Christ. As a teenager he attended Echols and Woodland High Schools and later enlisted in the United States Army.

As a soldier, Reverend R.L. Hudspeth, fought in the Korean War in one of its most horrific conflicts, the battle of Pork Chop Hill. This tumultuous conflict occurred in two battles bearing tremendous casualties on both sides. Reverend Hudspeth was wounded in this battle and was the recipient of two purple hearts along with several other medals of valor.

Reverend Hudspeth joined and was later ordained at Gospel Hill Baptist Church, under the leadership of the late Pastor Porter Hayes. Subsequently, he founded Gethsemane Baptist Church, an edifice

which he largely constructed with his own hands with the help of the community. After founding Gethsemane, Reverend Hudspeth would go on to serve as a pillar in the community, as a member of the

Young Minister District Association. In later years he would serve as the Chairman of varying Ministerial Conferences while holding leadership roles such as the Vice Moderator of the Jerusalem Starlight Association, President of the Ministers and Wives Union, and Dean of the Goodwill Fellowship Ministry. Reverend Hudspeth was an active member of the NAACP for many years and in 2019 was a recipient of a proclamation from the late Honorable Mayor Sylvester Turner who presented July 21st as Reverend R.L. Hudspeth Day in the city of Houston.

Reverend Hudspeth became a member and accordingly submitted to the Pastorship of the Honorable Reverend Archie Thompson Sr. at St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church. Academically, Reverend Hudspeth earned his Bachelor of Theology from Saint Seminary and his Doctorate from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

As patriarch, Reverend Hudspeth was preceded in death by his spouse Willie Mae Hudspeth and is survived by four children, Cynthia Prince, Vanessa Harvey (Michael Harvey), Pam Curry Garnett (Byron Garnett) and Robert Hudspeth Westbrook (Elizabeth Westbrook), and his Goddaughters, Annestrice Schultz, and Sheree Johnson. He is further survived by his grandchildren, Jake Prince, Ashleigh Curry,

Coderick King, Jarveon Curry, Dwight LaVan, Mustafaa Hudspeth, Khalifa Hudspeth, Nuri Bennett, Taharka Westbrook, Hathor Westbrook, and Renenutet Westbrook and a host of great grandchildren.

A visitation for Robert will be held Wednesday, July 2, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at St. Paul M.B.C., 2516 Paul Quinn St., Houston, TX 77091. The funeral will immediately follow from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The committal will be held on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 from 2:00 PM to 2:30 PM at HOUSTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, 10410 Veterans Memorial Dr., Houston, TX 77038.