Bobby Ray Lanier of Greenville passed away January 12, 2023, in Greenville, Texas. A husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Bob Lanier entered fully into the presence of the Lord and began his journey toward the sure and certain hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ.
In his 91 years, Bob served the Lord, his family, his church, and his country.
Bob was born Feb.1, 1931 to William B Lanier and Ida Jones Lanier in Ft Worth, Texas. He graduated from Celeste High School in 1948. The day after graduation he boarded a train in Greenville bound for Navy boot camp in San Diego. He spent the next twenty years serving his country in peacetime and wartime. He retired from the Navy in 1968 after obtaining the rank of Lieutenant JG.
He married the love of his life in 1951 to Diana Jean Vucho in Pittsburgh, Pa. They had four children, and the family followed the Navy to Washington D.C., Patuxent River, Md. Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Va., Corpus Christi, Texas and Sanford, Fla. Much of the time he was deployed at sea or overseas.
After the family returned to Greenville, Texas on his retirement in 1968. Bob used the GI Bill to put himself through East Texas State University and earned his bachelor’s and master’s in Library Science.
Both Bob and his wife Diana were confirmed at St Paul’s Episcopalian Church in Greenville, and later they were longtime members of Holy Spirit Episcopal Church in Graham, Texas.
In 1972, Bob became the director of the public library in Graham Texas and served there for almost 25 years.
After his retirement, Bob and Diana moved to the Houston area where they lived until 2001, when they made their permanent home in Greenville. Bob was predeceased by his wife Diana in 2009.
Surviving are his devoted children, a daughter, Cindy Lanier Wolfe (David) of Merit, and three sons, Jon (Linda) of Denton, Terrance (Lisa) of Dallas, and Timothy (Jolene) of Richmond, Tx. And nine grandchildren, Bobby and Adam Wolfe, Jon Richard (Angela), Ryan (Amanda), Christopher (Jewell), Quinn, Jessica, and Andrea Lanier and Rhiannon Lanier Vasquez (Jeff), Great grandchildren Orion and Amber Vasquez and Sunny Lanier. He is also survived by five sisters-in-law, Viavia Lanier Childress, Nita Duncan Stone Hill, Darlene Hill, Maureen Vucho, and Carol Vucho, and one brother-in-law Samuel Harris Vucho. He also leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews.
Bob was predeceased by his parents, stepmother, wife Diana, a grandson, David Ray Wolfe, and 7 brothers, Douglas, Jones, Lloyd Lanier, G.L., William, Clifford, and Duard Hill and one sister, Freda Lanier White.
Memorial service for Bob will be at 2 p.m. at St Paul’s Episcopal Church, Greenville. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to his church, St Paul’s Episcopal Church, Greenville, Tx. Coker-Mathews Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
