He was born on November 23, 1931 to Robert Herrera and Trinidad Guerrero in Victoria, Texas. Under the watchful eye of nurturing parents, he learned the traits of honesty, perseverance, and hard work, along with service to man and God which would be the touchstone for his goals throughout his days. As a toddler, Robert met the love of his life and future wife, Lucille Graillet. Robert and Lucille recently celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the US Army and served overseas in the Korean War. Following the war, he moved to Dallas where he worked as a process engineer at Texas Instruments for 35 years. Robert was known for his ability to troubleshoot any issue, making “call Robert” a common saying for coworkers, family, and friends. Robert decided to retire early in order to dedicate himself to full-time volunteer service in multiple roles, including missions and community outreach, at Park Cities Baptist Church for over 32 years. He was an ordained minister and deacon and started over 40 ministries locally and abroad. He participated in numerous mission trips across Texas, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. He served in leadership roles at the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Dallas Baptist Association, Park Cities Baptist Church, Family Guidance Center, Crossover Ministries, Ross Avenue Center, and Los Hermanos de la Frontera, in addition to numerous other civic organizations. Robert was an instrumental part of serving the South Dallas, East Dallas, Love Field, and Vickery areas of Dallas, and the Robert Herrera Center was named in his honor. He was named the Dallas’ “Hometown Hero” by CBS channel 4 and was honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution. In addition to his incredible service, Robert was known for his dry sense of humor and sharp wit. He dedicated his life to serving “the least of these” and added value to the lives of everyone he met.
Robert was a loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. He selflessly prioritized the needs of others above his own. He is survived by his wife, Lucille Graillet Herrera; sister Alice Moreno; sister-in-law Tita Ketola; son Robert “Jim” (Brenda) Herrera; son André (Marta) Herrera; grandchildren Dr. Brandon Herrera, Brittany (Andrew) Chasteen, & Zofia Herrera; nieces Deena (Kevin) Peterson, Sandy (Geoff) Werner, & Tita Peterson; nephew Richard (Martha) Ketola; cousin Gloria Hinojosa.
The memorial service will take place on Saturday, February 8th at 2:00pm in the Sanctuary of Park Cities Baptist Church, 3933 Northwest Parkway, Dallas, Texas 75225. Memorial donations may be made in Robert’s honor to the Mission’s Department at Park Cities Baptist Church.
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