Robert Harper

Robert (Bobby) Harper passed away in San Antonio 01/06/10 after a battle with a rare form of cancer at the age 79. He was born January 30, 1930 to Glenn and Loneta Harper on the family ranch located between Utopia and Vanderpool in Bandera County Texas.
He was preceded in death by his parents Glenn and Loneta Harper of Uvalde and is survived by his wife of 24 years Margaret, his business partner and helpmate. His sons: Rodney Harper of Rancho Palos Verdes, CA; Richard Harper and family of Savannah, Texas; his daughters, Sharon Kay Rawls of Georgetown, Texas, Sheila Salazar of San Antonio, Lisa Pryor and husband Larry of San Antonio; grandsons, Brian Rawls of Gerogetown, Texasand Kingston Pryor of San Antonio.
He attended Utopia schools 1st - 8th grades then attended Uvalde High School with many fond memories of his teachers and friends. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at age 17, serving three years then being one of the first recalled to active duty during the Korean conflict. Heserved another 24 months with total of five years active service and honorable discharged as T/SGT Communication/Chrypto Specialist. He was hired along with four other young veterans with high security clearances as the first employees to convert a obsolete WWII plant to a state of the art production ordnance facility under the management of the US Navy under contract by Thiokol Chemical Corp, developer of the solid propellants that still are used by NASA. During this periodhe attended East Texas Baptist College under his GI Bill and pursued a business major.
During this period he became Superintendent of the Igniter Division producing the first Nike Missile and other ordnance some in use today. At the end of the Korean conflict he returned to Uvalde for a short time then entered the Automobile business as a salesman for Hemphill Ford now Red McCombs Ford in San Antonio, actually selling his first new Ford on the 1st Sat. in Jan. 1957, followed by the next years in sales management for Gene Hamon Ford in Texas City, his friend and mentor then becoming the owner of a Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Lufkin, Texas in 1960. Later acquried numerous other new car franchises, Ford, Nisson, Chyrsler-Dodge, Pontiac-GMC and Subaru in West Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma covering a span of 30 plus years as an active new car dealer. Sold and developed with Dr. Sutton and Sons of San Antonio Harper Ranch now known as Uvalde Estates. Created Aerflite International Corp. with the help of his wife and partner a special auto rental software and consulting company especially for new car franchised dealers servicing dealerships inthe United States and Canada. He remained active in business until July 2007.
He took pride in the honor of commanding the Alamo Battalion United States naval Sea Cadet Corps for 8yrs. located at Naval Marine Corps Reserve Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Service:
Family has chosen a private ceremony.