Bob Schumann was born on February 2, 1940, in Victoria, Texas to Anton Schumann and Augusta Raab Schumann. He was the sixth of seven children. He grew up in Victoria, Texas, graduating from St. Joseph’s High School in 1958.
Bob was a tinkerer at a very young age, and always took mechanical devices apart and put them back together again to see how they worked. In his youth, he fell in love with Harley Davidson motorcycles and worked many hard hours saving money to buy one. Bob enjoyed many carefree hours cruising around Victoria on his Harley until marriage and children changed his priorities.
Bob had a deep curiosity about the world, and when he was still young, he acquired a private pilot’s license. He was a regular customer flying out of Ball Airport near Victoria. He thrilled his mother by flying her over Victoria – a story told many times.
After graduating from high school, Bob landed a job at a local electrical mechanic shop. Two years later, He married Jaqualine Evans Schumann in 1960. Together, they had three children, Gary, Cynthia, and Keith and fully established their family at a home built by Bob in Crescent Valley. For the next 38 years, Bob was a loyal employee of the Victoria DuPont Plant. He spent his entire career at DuPont starting as an electrical mechanic and foreman eventually progressing to Supervisor. Bob has been a lifelong member of the Victoria Catholic Community and a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. He also spent many years as a leader of the Crescent Valley Volunteer Fire Department.
In 2000, Bob started the second chapter of his life when he retired and met Jackie Knezek who he married On December 22, 2000. He moved to Inez, Texas. Bob and Jackie had 22 wonderful years together, travelling, cruising, and enjoying the good life. He flourished in his retirement and spent many hours helping his friends with their ranching operations and various projects.
Throughout his life, Bob enjoyed travel and got to see the world with vacations to Europe visiting London and Switzerland, ground zero in Hiroshima, Japan, fishing in Alaska, and traversing the Panama Canal. He traveled across the United States and often took his family camping along the way.
Bob’s greatest joy was fishing on the Texas Gulf coast at a fishing camp on San Antonio Bay. Many of his family and best friends have fond memories of Bob sitting on the porch of the fishing camp swapping stories and eating prodigious amounts of freshly caught fish.
Before he passed, Bob said that no one should feel sad for him as he lived a long and full life and an active retirement. Bob was fortunate until the last few months when he passed from end stage renal disease.
Bob was predeceased by his sisters Lorraine, Dorothy, Gladys, and Margaret. He is survived by brothers Tony and Jimmy Schumann, sons Gary (Noel Landuyt) Schumann and Keith (Matthew) Simon-Schumann, daughter Cynthia (Doug) Foxell, grandchildren Evan and Chloe Schumann, Maddie Foxell, Jackson, Hunter, and Owen Simon-Schumann, great grandson Dean Brooks Lasater and sister-in-law Merredith Gail Evans who has always held a special place in his heart. He is also survived by Jackie Knezek’s family, Barry Knezek, Pamela DeBord, grandchildren Miranda, Katelyn, Logan, and great grandchildren Skylar, Collin, and Ela.
A memorial service will be held 1 PM Saturday, February 5, 2022 at Rosewood Funeral Chapel with Deacon Stephen Borowicz officiating. Contributions may be made to the St. Joseph High School110 E. Red River, Victoria, TX 77901, National Kidney Foundation: www.kidney.org or donor's choice.
Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.rosewoodfuneralchapel.com.
