Bobbie Lee Ford

Bobbie Lee (Bob) Ford was born in Amarillo, Texas on November 24, 1935, the youngest son of Charles and Georgia Ford. He passed away peacefully in his sleep on July 12, 2025, in Georgetown, Texas. A self-professed “West Texas farm boy,” Bob fulfilled his dream of traveling the world while pursuing a career in architecture and engineering.

Bob grew up primarily in Amarillo where he first started working in 5th grade at the Margaret Will Cafeteria washing plates. His pay was a free lunch and all the ice cream he could eat. Bob is a 1954 graduate of Amarillo High School (“Blow Sandies Blow”), where he played baseball and football. He spent one year at Amarillo Junior College, starting at the last place on the men’s tennis team and ending up winning Third in the Texas State finals. He continued his college career at Texas Tech University, joining his best friend Duane “Dewey” Miller. However, their history of troublemaking convinced both sets of parents to not allow them to be roommates. He was an active member of both Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and Saddle Tramps, making life-long friends. 1960 was a banner year as he graduated with two degrees, Architecture and Civil Engineering, and married Kathryn Louise White at First United Methodist Church in Lubbock. Bob’s first job out of college was working for Texas Tech, designing some of the key buildings on campus including the Communications Building, the Agricultural Building, and the “bubble” over the Tech Rec Center pool.

His first daughter Julie Elizabeth (nee Sandifer) was born in Lubbock in 1963, with a second daughter Jana Alison (nee Muntsinger) joining the family in 1966. In 1968, Bob moved his family to Houston to work for the renowned architecture firm, Walter Moore, where he designed the physics for several AstroWorld rides, he worked on the construction of the AstroDome, and he designed the original building for Tallowood Baptist Church. Significantly in Houston, on July 23, 1969, Bob became a Christian at a local revival, changing the course of his life.

In 1971, he moved the family back to Lubbock, reuniting the extended family, including beloved grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins. He worked in various architecture firms, and started his own architecture business where he listed Proverbs 3:16 on his business card, to show every client his love for God. During this time, he designed a wide variety of buildings in Lubbock from residential homes to medical buildings to car dealerships.

After Bob and Kathy separated, Bob moved to Austin to continue designing car dealerships such as Henna Chevrolet. There he reconnected with friends from Texas Tech, including the lovely Carolyn Tapp Waddle who he gladly married in 1986. Their marriage brought much joy to Bob. They made a lifelong commitment to blend their separate families into one. Bob and Carolyn lived a full life, traveling throughout the US around the world to fulfill Bob’s childhood dream. While Carolyn held down the fort in Austin, Bob concluded his career in the technical field of designing computer chip “clean rooms” for Motorola, living for extended periods in Texas, Arizona, Scotland, France and China, taking along his friendly West Texas demeanor no matter where he lived. In his last post in Tianjin, China, he spent most of his time shopping for furniture, tea pots, and thousands of beanie babies for the grandchildren and their friends. Upon retirement, Bob entered his favorite stage of life directing many days of “Camp Poppy” providing lots of memories – but not too much close supervision – for his 12 grandchildren.

Bob was not a man of moderation with hobbies as varied as his travels, including studying Frank Lloyd Wright design, teaching Sunday School, creating stain glass, following Texas Tech sports, rooting against all University of Texas teams, listening to classical music, and collecting nutcrackers. He even had a season of trying to visit the top 100 Texas barbecue spots and all the Texas wineries.

Bob is survived by his wife Carolyn Tapp Waddle Ford of 39 years; five children – Julie Elizabeth Sandifer (Dennis), Jana Ford Muntsinger (Dave), David Waddle (Lisa Painter), Karen Waddle Parsley, Douglas Waddle (Kelley); twelve grandchildren – Ely Miller Fine (Michael), Will Miller (Claire), Jack Muntsinger, Ford Muntsinger, Kate Muntsinger, Kristen Parsley Nabors, Jennifer Parsley, Hayden Parsley, Larry Waddle (Jordan), Audrey Waddle Villarreal (Jaret), Janie Waddle and Christopher Waddle; and three great grandchildren – Piper Nabors, Miller Fine and Franklin Waddle.

A Celebration of Life will be held at The Wesleyan in Georgetown on Saturday, August 2 at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Lt. Col. Joseph “Jay” Parsley Endowed Scholarship at Texas Tech University. Please see the donation link below this obituary.