Robert F. (Bob) Mossman was born March 5, 1928 in Caldwell, Kansas to Lawrence Merle and Helen Fern Fulton Mossman. After a marvelously full and productive life of 90 years, he died peacefully May 15, 2018 in Austin, Texas. He was a loving and thoughtful husband to his devoted wife Lorraine Elizabeth Chapman Mossman, who faithfully cared for him during their marriage of over 68 years, beginning with their wedding on August 28, 1949 in Winfield, Kansas. Bob survived his older sister Doris Brown and her husband Grover, and his younger sister Charlotte Williamson and her husband Joe.
Bob graduated with honors from Winfield High School in 1946 and from Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1951. He enlisted in the US Army in May 1946, played French horn in the Army Band in Italy, and was honorably discharged in October 1947. He worked as a mechanical engineer at Carrier from 1951-1965 in Dallas, Houston, and Oklahoma City. Bob worked for Texas Instruments from 1965 to 1992, was the first facilities manager when the Austin TI plant began in 1969, and oversaw construction of the first buildings. After retiring from TI, he joined Motorola until a second retirement a few years later.
Bob and Lorraine are charter members of Bethany United Methodist Church, Austin, Texas, and active members from the first worship service Sunday July 4, 1976. He was instrumental in the first building for Bethany, a combination worship center/Fellowship Hall, and he chaired the Building Committee for the first three building projects, including the first sanctuary. Bob chaired and/or served on virtually every board and committee at Bethany its first 30 years. He co-initiated Bethany’s Mountain T.O.P. (Tennessee Outreach) participation in 1990, and was a hands-on builder there from 1990-1997.
Bob and Lorraine lived at their Lake Travis lakefront home from 1973 to 2011 (except for short moves for TI to Dallas and Attleboro MA) and hosted many family and church events there. Bob was a consummate handyman, decades-long vegetable gardener, and a loyal Dallas Cowboys fan from their beginning.
Bob is survived by his wife Lorraine; son David and wife Nancy, son Tim, daughter Marisa O’Dell and husband Robert (Bob); ten grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at Bethany UMC, 10010 Anderson Mill Rd, Austin, TX, on Saturday, June 2, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.
The family is very grateful to the staff of Arden Courts for their great care of Bob the last six months. In lieu of flowers, Bob requested gifts to the Bethany UMC Foundation, bethany-umc.org" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">bethany-umc.org > Generosity, or House of Friends, bethany-umc.org > Care/Prayer.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldenchapelofthehills.com for the Mossman family.
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