Bob Gautier

Bob was born May 25, 1940, to Claud and Sybil Gautier in Clifton, Texas. He grew up in Hamilton with his four brothers and two sisters. Bob graduated from Hamilton High School in 1960. He joined the National Guard after high school and served his nation in the United States Army. He attended Tarleton College for two years before transferring to North Texas University in Denton. Bob attended NTU for three years.

Bob returned to Hamilton as part owner of Lawson Implement. He and his brother-in-law, Billy Lawson, operated two John Deere dealerships in Hamilton and Goldthwaite until Bob’s retirement in 2004. He sold his part of the business to Billy at that time.

Bob was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Hamilton, the Lion’s Club, served on the board of Perry county Club, and was a director of the First National Bank of Hamilton and the Extraco Bank of Hamilton.

Bob had many passions beside John Deere equipment. He loved golf and all of his golfing buddies. He fished, hunted, and spent as much time as possible in casinos. He and Johnnye took ski trips in the winter and vacationed in Ruidoso, New Mexico, every summer for years.

He loved sports, especially his UT football team.

Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2005 soon after his retirement. He heroically fought the degenerative disease for fifteen years. Thanks to his supportive family and friends, he lived at home until the last few months of his life.

Bob is survived by his wife of 55 years, Johnnye; his sister Pam Eilers and her husband Larry; sisters-in-law Pat, Jean and Mary; partner and brother-in-law Billy Lawson and his wife Sharolyn; sister-in-law Jean Bloodworth and her husband Jerry. He is also survived by twenty one nieces and nephews and many great-nieces and nephews.

Bob is preceded in death by his parents, Claud and Sybil Gautier; his father and mother-in-law June and Merle Lawson; four brothers David, Don, Jerry, and Bill; one sister Kathryn and her husband Bob Turner; a sister-in-law Nancy Gautier; brother-in-law John M. Pederson; nephews John Scott Pederson and Darin Gautier; and niece Stacey Gautier.