Robert "Bob" Austin Marshall Sr., 85, of Georgetown, Texas, transitioned from a life rich with globe-trotting experiences to grander adventures in the afterlife on Dec. 10, 2024, at his family home in Georgetown, surrounded by his loving family.

A lifelong science fiction fan, he would want his loved ones to take solace in his ascension to Heaven with this "Empire Strikes Back" quote from Yoda: "Luminous beings we are, not this crude matter."

Bob was born Dec. 9, 1939, in Des Moines, Iowa, and enjoyed a loving home in West Des Moines playing with neighborhood friends, sledding, ice skating, engaging in snowball fights, traveling, and going to amusement parks. In his teen years, he enjoyed working as a counselor at
various camps and as a soda jerk at drug store fountains. An All-State trumpet player, he graduated from Valley High School in 1958.

That same year, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, which provided a 22-year career that took him on tours of Vietnam and Japan and multiple destinations around the country. He achieved the rank of Master Sergeant. He worked as an air traffic controller, eventually serving as Air Traffic Control Tower Chief at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.

While on duty at MCAS/Yuma International Airport, Bob coordinated a safe emergency landing at the Yuma Proving Ground airport for a mother and her son who needed immediate medical care. That effort resulted in Bob being the first Marine to be awarded the Admiral Pirie Air Traffic Controller of the Year award in 1977.

After retiring from the Marine Corps, Bob's adventures just started when the Lufkin Police Department hired him as a dispatcher on the overnight shift. During this time, he also completed his studies at Angelina College and Stephen F. Austin State University, graduating from SFA with a degree in computer science in 1984. Upon graduation, he worked as a programmer for Louisiana-Pacific until his retirement.

Bob was the consummate gentleman, a gifted storyteller, and a voracious reader. He deeply appreciated good music, entertainment, food, travel, and conversation. He also enjoyed white-tailed deer hunting in the Pineywoods of East Texas.

But there was nothing he loved more than his family. He found the love of his life in Sylvia, and they enjoyed a fairytale courtship that turned into a deepening love through their 52 years of marriage. He doted on his children, Bob and Ruth, and beamed with pride at their accomplishments.
He considered himself beyond blessed to enjoy that same pride while spoiling his three grandchildren, Jay, Emily, and Trip.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Harold and Elizabeth Marshall, and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Brady and Daisy Wadsworth.

He is survived by his wife Sylvia of Georgetown; son and daughter-in-law Robert "Bob" Austin Marshall Jr. and Sarah Marshall of Omaha, Nebraska; daughter and son-in-law Ruth Elizabeth and John McEntire of Georgetown; grandchildren Jay and Emily McEntire and Robert "Trip" Austin Marshall III; sisters-in-law and brother-in-law Candy Wadsworth, John Wadsworth, and Cindy Garcia and husband Carlos; and nieces and nephews Stacy Faison, John Wadsworth and wife Danielle, Ali Faison, Heath Wadsworth and wife Devon, Joy Wadsworth and husband Eric, Marcus Wells, and Justin Wells.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Ramsey Funeral Home in Georgetown, Texas, with Rev. Dr. Bill Poe officiating, with a visitation from 1 p.m. until services begin. Graveside services with military honors will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Garden of Memories in Lufkin, Texas, with the Rev. Dr. Bob Shield officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. This organization supports the National Museum of the Marine Corps, and Bob felt strongly about preserving the USMC's history.