Paul E. Robel
April 30, 1945 ~ April 23, 2009
Paul Ervin Robel passed away on April 23, 2009. He was preceded in death by his parents Cecilia Ann and Robert A. Robel of Rockport, Texas. He is survived by Wanda peebles-Robel, his devoted and loving wife, brother Raymond and wife Sue, sister Patricia Grelle of Dripping Springs, son Jeff Robel and his wife Dawn pf Pagosa Springs, Colorado and their three children Jonathon, Ethan, and Keaton, daughter Susan and her husband Greg, and children Kaylee and Zachary, stepson Dr. Jeffrey Peebles of Southlake, Texas and his wife Kathy and their four chidlren Julie, Taylor, David, Scott, and John, stepson Scott Peebles of Houston, Texas and his wife Deanie and their three childrenConnor, Dylan, and Duncan, many nieces and nephews. Paul was born on April 30, 1945 in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated from Sam Houston High School where he lettered football and track. He earned his BS in Industrial Arts from Southwest Texas University. He returned to Sam Houston High where he began his teaching career. Later he obtained his Masters degree in Education from Southwest Texas University in San Marcos and spent time teaching at San Antonio College. He earned a second Masters degree from Texas A&M University at College Station. While in high school, Paul developed a close friendship with his mentor and teacher Bill Pabst who shared a mutual interest and love for fly fishing. They began a lifelong journey fishing the rivers of New Mexico and Colorado. Many absorbing stories were told of their adventures.Paul would custom build fly rods and his own flies. He left teaching to open "Paul's Hardware Store" in Rockport Texas. After many years at this venture, he moved back to San Antonio, to teach at Eisenhower Middle School. There he was voted Teacher of Year 2001-2002. He retired in 2003 to spend more time in his bass boat on the Texas lakes and enjoy his twelve grandchildren. Paul;s fondest and most caring activity, after retiring from his teaching profession, was his time spent driving a school bus for North East ISD-and lavishing all the love and loyalty he had for his beloved kids of Bus #213. Those same young people helped him assuage the pain and suffering that accompanied a terminal illness. God bless them all! The family wishes to express heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Stephen C. Cohen who took such personal care of Paul as well as the nurses and staff at Cancer Care Center of South Texas, Maxine, Anne, Shannon, Margaret, also Dr. Jeffrey S. Peebles, Dr. Richard Newman, Diane, our Stephen's minister Al Stewart-wonderful people who were always there for us. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Stephen C. Cohen Foundation for Oncologic Research at Cancer Care Centers of South Texas at 2130 NE Loop 410, suite 100 in San Antonio, TX 78217. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at Concordia Lutheran Church on Huebner Rd. and 1604. To leave a note for the family, go to www.meadowlawn.net.
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Paul was a very kind and nobel man. He loved Kids and was the type of role model our Kids need today. I will miss his humor and his gentel spirtit. My prayers are with the Family.
Wanda and family, please accept our condolences for this time of your hurt. We are dependent on God and learn of His plan and will as they are revealed to us. Paul is part of that as we all are. Relying on God, As we must, Is more than Ashes to ashes And dust to dust. My good memories are of you two as my cohorts.
Dear Jeff and Dawn, We know it is very difficult to lose your father, especially when it seems it was “before his time.” Take heart in the special moments God allowed you to have with him. Share those memories your dad left behind for you with your boys and cherish and remember them always! Love, Steve, Mary Ann, John, Sarah & Samuel Rev 21:4
I enjoyed working with Paul at Eisenhower MS. He was a very kind man and the students loved him, as well. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Jeff, I am so sorry to hear about your loss. Words cannot express my sympathy and hope that the grieving process will soon heal. In this difficult time, I know you feel very blessed to have your family at your side for love and support. Godspeed. Tim
Jeff and Dawn, My deepest sympathy for your loss. May the company of those you love, help you thru these difficult times. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers
We are sorry to hear of your lose. We will keep your family in our prayers!
Dear Wanda & Family, In your time of need I wish to express my deepest sympathies and heartfelt sadness in the passing of Paul. It has been my distinct privilege and honor to come to know Paul and be considered a friend by him. For Paul welcomed me as a new bus driver and part of the team at the Blossom Athletic Center, NEISD, transportation department. We had several opportunities to work with and socialize together over the course of almost five years. I distinctly loved spending time with him and sharing his enthusiasm for life and people. I will most certainly miss him. His warmth, kindness, and willingness to help others was key to the man he was and will always be. An example of his warmth occurred most mornings while we were both on our respective bus routes: namely at the intersection of Huebner road and Blanco road in the AM we would activate our bus amber warning lights as I normally sat at Huebner road waiting to make a left turn onto Blanco and he, while traveling North on Blanco, would make a right turn onto Huebner road. Oh how we used to laugh at this act as it is illegal to activate the amber lights unless one is picking up students at a bus stop. It was of course a sign of recognition, one that I doubt is repeated elsewhere. Thank you Wanda and Paul for welcoming me into your home when I dropped by to visit during his illness and left the plant that symbolizes life. I shall never forget the warm visit we all shared that day. May God bless you all and gain peace knowing that your husband, father, coworker, and most of all friend rests with our Lord, Jesus Christ. I shall miss him greatly. I am sorry I cant attend the memorial service on Thursday, but I have a midday bus run that I have to drive. I will though be there in spirit. Amen. Kari Ekwurzel Bus # 270
Jeff and Dawn, I’m so sorry for your loss. Please know that you and your family are in the thoughts and prayers of many who love you.
Wanda, It was such a privilege to work with you and Paul at Eisenhower. I always admired Paul’s good humor and care for the students. He definitely made my days brighter! It was a very pleasant surprise to have him drive for the band after his retirement from Ike. He had a tremendous impact on my life and on many lives. Your family will remain in my prayers.
Wanda, I’m so sorry that we cannot be with you on Thursday to celebrate Paul’s life. I began thinking about the things I will remember about Paul and almost every memory made me smile. I remember that the first person I met at Sam Houston Junior High was Paul. I remember that he sometimes helped me with my paper route after school. We played football and ran track together all through junior and high school. He was a lineman(right guard). I remember that his hands were always so beat up and stiff that he could hardly make a fist, but he ALWAYS showed up and gave his BEST. I remember his parents wouldn’t let him paint flames on his green 1950 Ford…so he painted them on the inside of his glove compartment door. I remember the time he helped me replace the head gaskets on my father’s Pontiac–twice. We got them on upside down the first try. I remember trying to explain to my mother why all my friends weren’t like that nice Robel boy.I remember that final “road trip” with Paul, Leland Bauman and Gary Hill to Rockport that marked the end of our high school years. I still have a saltwater fishing rod that Paul built for me at “Paul’s Hardware Store” in Rockport. I remember that he and Bill Pabst introduced me to the trout fishing in Colorado. I think that the last time we were together, Paul and Bill joined Toni and I on the Conejos River and we spent several days together on that beautiful stream. I remember that when he found out that I also had cancer, he wanted to call and talk to me even though it must have been very painful for him. My biggest regret is that we were not able to see each other one last time. The memory that I will cherish the most is of a clear cool Colorado morning with the breeze quietly moving in the aspen trees. I am standing on a bluff overlooking the river and watching Paul silently cast to a rising trout. He misses several strikes then he turns and looks up at me…..and smiles. Wanda, we so regret your loss. We will continue to keep you and the whole family in our prayers. Toni and Gary