Bobby E Millsap

He was born to William Scott and Sybil Millsap on July 24th, 1936, in a small rock house in the Ozark Mountain town of Mansfield, Missouri. At three years old, his family moved to work in the fruit crops of California’s San Joaquin Valley.

Growing up in Exeter, CA, he excelled in many sports, including football, and track—holding the town's 100-yard dash record for several years.

He graduated from Exeter High School in 1955.

Bob proudly served his country in the US Army.

Upon returning from the service, Bob made a name for himself as a talented butcher. Bob met Rosemary Mello at a bowling alley in Visalia, and they were married five months later, on February 22nd, 1964. Three years after that, their only child, Robert Eugene, was born.

By this time, Bob was the meat manager for Kmart Foods in Visalia. In 1973, Kmart Foods transferred him to Bakersfield.

Bob became a business owner in 1977. First, owning Valley Meat Processing and Locker Plant in Bakersfield. The following year, they sold that to buy into Big Star Market in nearby Wasco—owning and operating it for 15 years.

Over the next twenty years, Bob and Rosemary went on the wild adventure of buying, selling, and operating nine supermarkets in California and Kentucky. In California, these stores include Old Towne Market in Tehachapi and Shell Beach Market in Shell Beach.

In 1990, upon graduating college, Bob Jr. joined his parents in the family business.

In 1993 the family sold their stores, left California, and moved to Paducah, Kentucky—to own and operate three Piggly Wiggly Supermarkets in Western Kentucky until 1998—when they sold the family business and all moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where Bob and Rosemary settled into retirement.

Bob first became a grandfather in 1995, when Dylan Robert was born, and again in 2000, with the birth of Taylor William. He loved being a grandpa and was extremely proud of the great young men Dylan and Taylor have become.

Bob had the reputation of being an incredible grocer and businessman who truly ran the cleanest stores around. He had a great sense of humor and a deep love and commitment to his family.

In recent years, Bob was baptized and confirmed into the Catholic church.

Bob is survived by his wife, Rosemary, son Bob, daughter-in-law Shelly, and grandsons Dylan and Taylor. He joins in heaven his father, William Scott, his mother, Sybil, and his brother, Scottie Ray.

A graveside service with military honors will be held on Friday, March 28th at 2PM at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.