Our dearly loved Robert Wayne Pearson died peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday October 23, 2024. Robert was born in Houston March 1,1955 to Curtis and Nell Pearson. He graduated from the University of Houston in 1978 with a BFA in Fine Arts. Over his lifetime, Robert created masterful paintings and drawings while centering his energies into his self-taught and highly expressive improvisational piano performances. Over the last several years, as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS aka Lou Gehrig’s disease) ended his piano work, he adapted to digital technology to write poetry, leaving behind a perceptively beautiful selection of writings about life, solitude, and endings.

Robert will be forever cherished and missed by daughter Tessa Berry, son-in-law Douglas Berry, grandchildren Annaliese and Logan Berry, brother Gary Pearson, sister-in-law Sandy Pearson, cousin Richard Warren, and his many nieces and nephews, Sheila Youngblood, her children Reese and Kirby, Julie Pearson, her partner Aaron Oster and their child Loula, Misty Huacuja-LaPointe, and friend Judith Huacuja. As a unique and highly skilled pianist, Robert’s passion for creative expression has been heard by thousands in Houston over the past fifty years. Robert’s family is deeply touched by the affection expressed by all who knew him.

All are welcome to help us honor and celebrate the creative life of Robert W. Pearson. As a composer, pianist, visual artist, and recently as a writer, Robert touched many lives over the past decades. We hope you can join us in sharing a memory during his Celebration of Life event:

Date: Sunday, November 10, 2024

Time: 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Location: Live Oak Friends Meeting House

1318 West 26th Street

Houston, Texas 77008

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to Team Gleason, a charity that supports ALS patients (https://teamgleason.org/donate/).

Robert “Bob” Ray Gloyna of Austin, Texas left this world for an eternity in the presence of Jesus Christ on November 27, 2024. Known as Bob to friends and family, Robert was born on February 21,1930 to Johanna and Herman Gloyna in Foard County, Texas. He grew up on a working farm with three brothers, graduating from high school in Crowell, Texas, the only incorporated town in the county.
Bob went on to attend The University of Texas at Austin, graduating in 1951 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Bob married Edna Knippa of Giddings, Texas on June 3, 1951. She had quickly caught Bob’s attention during his college years in Austin. Soon after graduation and marriage, Bob was called to active duty in the United States Army. He was assigned to the 332nd Aviation Engineering Battalion as a heavy equipment platoon leader and company commander for Army headquarters.
After his discharge from the armed services, Robert was employed by Phillips Petroleum Company, Rocket Fuels Division, in McGregor, Texas, then by the Phillips Petrochemical Division, Pasadena, Texas. Robert later joined National Distillers and Chemical Company and its divisions, USI and Quantum Chemicals, where he became a critical team member in the design and construction of polyethylene plants all over the world. While working as an engineer, Bob also attended night school to earn an MBA degree in Management from the University of Houston in 1961.
Bob’s career took his family to The Netherlands and Brazil for several years. Returning to Texas in 1974, Edna and Bob lived in Clear Lake and Port Arthur until finally settling in Austin. Bob initially “retired” in 1991 as Engineering Manager with Quantum only to move to Austin and continue his long professional engineering career as a consultant. He retired for the final time in 2001.
Edna and Bob were happily married for 70 years until Edna’s death in August 2021. A strong Christian faith was always at the center of their shared life. The couple were lifelong members of various churches and organizations affiliated with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, including Zion Lutheran Church of Pasadena, Texas, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church of Clear Lake City, Texas and most recently, Redeemer Lutheran Church of Austin, Texas. In all these church communities, the pair held leadership positions, participated in couples Sunday School classes and made many wonderful friendships.
Robert is survived by his daughter, Carol, her husband James Prince and grandson Robert Prince, all of Austin; his son, James of Austin; and his sister-in-law, Deborah Gloyna, of Florida. Nieces Diane, Lisa and Brenda along with nephews David and Michael also survive him. Robert was preceded in death by his parents and his three brothers, Dr. Earnest F. Gloyna and sister-in-law Agnes of Austin, Herman W. Gloyna and sister-in law Eileen of Plainview, Texas, and Emmett Gloyna of Victoria, Texas.
The family will receive visitors on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 pm at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar in Austin, Texas. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1500 W. Anderson Lane, Austin, Texas. Graveside interment will take place at Cook-Walden/ Capital Parks Cemetery, 14501 North Interstate Highway 35 following the service.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift to the Redeemer Lutheran Church Building Fund, to Upbring (formerly Lutheran Social Services of the South) or to a charity of your choosing.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com for the Robert Gloyna family.

Ann Patronella Bonefas of Houston, Texas, known to her grandchildren and great grandchildren as Noni, went to be with the Lord, on the morning of November 14, 2024, at the age of 91 years young.
Born March 23, 1933, in Humble, Texas (“Actually it was in an old frame house 6 miles south of Humble”, she used to tell us), the family moved several times before finally settling in the Lazybrook Area of Houston, Texas. She attended Holy Name Catholic School and entered Sacred Heart Dominican College/St. Joseph School of Nursing in 1951 and graduated in 1955 with her nursing degree. She married Robert A. Bonefas in September of 1960, and had six children, divorcing later in 1976. Ann was very proud of her children, and she would often brag, “six kids in 5years!”

Ann belonged to the visiting nurse association and visited recovering patients in their homes and was a pioneer in the field of physical therapy when there was not yet a field for it. She worked at Jeff Davis Hospital for many years, and she also worked for Houston Independent School District for 28 years, 10 of those years dedicated to Booker T. Washington High School. Ann would also work weekends at Memorial Northwest Hospital. In 1976 she went back to college at the University of Houston to obtain her Masters, working full time and weekends while going to school, and raising six children, graduating in 1980. She retired in 1994 and stayed active by working in her yard, walking a mile twice a day and maintaining her rental properties. She was active in her church, St. Maximilian of Kobe on West Rd in Houston and participated in the St. Joseph table production yearly. In her late 80’s into her 90’s she was an active participant with her local Civic Club and was also on the Board of the HOA.

Ann loved to hit the dollar stores and always had gifts aplenty to give to her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was still driving at 90 years, until she suffered a stroke late last year. Ann maintained relationships with her college classmates from nursing school; she looked forward to and enjoyed their annual get-togethers, adventures, or their girls’ weekends at one of their friend’s Galveston beach house.

When her children were young, she sewed a good majority of their clothes. She was a master seamstress and could look at an outfit and recreate the outfit from memory. Ann also loved to crochet; she crocheted beautiful doilies as well hand towels (she kept them on hand to give at a moment’s notice to brighten someone’s day or for a housewarming gift), she was also very talented with embroidery as well; Ann continued to sew until her passing.

Ann was preceded in life by her parents, Clarence Clinton Patronella and Helen Josephine Bila Patronella, her brother Clarence “Junior” Patronella, her sister, Rosemarie Patronella, and her youngest brother, Richard Patronella.

Ann is survived by her children and their spouses, Matthew Bonefas & wife Shelley, Chris Bonefas & wife Di, Gregory Bonefas wife Gena, Maureen Bonefas, Maurice Bonefas and Vincent Bonefas & wife Kristi as well as her 12 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

I will leave you with this, I think momma would have liked it:

MEMORY OF ME

I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.

I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done.

I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways,

Of happy times, and bright and sunny days.

I’d like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun,

With all of the happy memories that I leave when my life is done.