I was doing the Sun Circuit Show in Scottsdale, and it was on Sunday evening just as we were about to close for the day. So this guy walks up to the booth looking like he just stepped off of a sailboat (sorta out of uniform at an Arizona horse show if you get my drift) and starts talking to me like we had been friends since kindergarden. As we're talking about anything and everything, he asks about a bracelet we had in the showcase. I show him the bracelet, give him the details, he looks it over and hands it back. We go back to talking like we've been buds for years. "Hey, do you want a beer or something?" I think  we must have BSed for at least 30 - 45 minutes, just bein Buds. I liked him form the get-go! Just be fore he left he said "I'll take that bracelet." He bought it for Terrie and she came by and showed it off later.

Bobby had the ability to meet someone and instantly put them at ease. Not many folks can do that, and I'm proud I knew him for the short time we were life-long Buds. 

In college Bobby was chosen to be part of a team thesis project that spent a semester in Ecuador our fourth year of school.  Since we were newly married, I went with all of the guys for that semester, where we lived in Quito.  Sometimes food was a bit hard to come by, or at least food that I would eat, not wanting to get sick as one of the team members did.  We lived a couple of miles from the grocery/market and our typical mode of transportation was our own feet.  One day Bobby came in to the apartment we shared with 5-6 of the guys, and he had a big watermelon in his arms. I love watermelon and he had seen this melon, bought it for me knowing that I had been pretty hungry and then carried it for MILES to bring it to me. It was a heavy watermelon, too! It was such an act of service and love.  Bobby was a people-pleaser and many times I saw him carry heavy "weights" wanting so much to make someone else happy.  Part of it was how desperately he himself wanted to be loved, but part was just a real servant heart that was willing to do and to give.  Unfortunately, the watermelon in Ecuador tasted AWFUL and wasn't edible, but I never forgot his gesture or the love that propelled it.  And, I was just one of so many who received "watermelons" from the heart of Bobby Booth.

Bobby was very spontaneous which could be really great or sometimes not. One Saturday he took our family to East Texas because he wanted us to go visit someone he knew from the board at Pine Cove who was building houses at Holly Lake and he was going to visit with this man for a few hours.  We had never, ever talked about buying a property over there or anywhere like that, but we walked inside one really cute house that was not quite finished out and I said to Bobby "I love this!"  He just immediately said with excitement, "Do you want it???"  And, with that "discussion" of less than 15 seconds, we decided to buy a cabin at the lake.  It was a place of so many happy memories, including one Christmas where we went out and chopped down a tree, we made our own ornaments and my parents came, and it was so nice. It was a holiday of fewer gifts, no electronics, and much family and love. Many friends came with us and with our children to the "cabin" for weekends and the memories are some of our happiest.  The kids were given an old golf cart, which gave them their first taste of freedom, and Bobby had a giant two-layered treehouse built for them in the back, with a zip line.  It was so peaceful and there were many happy times there. Sometimes that spontanaeity of his was perfect and brought us such joy.

I came to HKS 30 years ago. I sat in the corner design studio with Sheila and Doug Dotter. I remember that first day...I was nervous and doing all I could to look composed.  Bobby walked into the area with the incredible smile and that infectious positive attitude. He was bigger than life. I had no idea who he was but I immediately liked him.  Bobby walked over to me and put his hand on my shoulder and said, "first day, huh?",  "don't worry each day gets easier from this day forward, you're going to do fine."  That day, Bobby comforted me and brought an ease to me.  In the 30 years that followed with Bobby, he was always there to comfort me, to ecourage me, to be my friend. He never wanted anything in return just a friendship. I will miss my friend... his softness, his love and his sincere generosity.  I am sad that I will not have the oportunity to grow older with Bobby. He made me a better person...he made us all better people.   
 

Bobby was family. He gave me my nickname Rooney. I have no idea where it came from but to this day my sister still calls me Rooney. We went camping (to Turner Falls?) and Bobby made t-shirts for us and put our nicknames on them. He put bugs on his face and made us all laugh. Countless times Bobby made us laugh. I don't remember an unkind word or impatient tone. He made me feel like I was one of his own. Until recentely I had forgotten how much richer my life has been with Bobby.

As kids we often took vacations to Colorado with The Booths.  Bobby was the life of the party on those trips - always singing and dancing and making the kids laugh.  No matter where we were - Colorado or home in Dallas - Bobby always turned up the music and got us all dancing. My parents, my brothers, everyone.  He knew how to have a good time and make life more fun.  Even I as I recently bought some old 80's disney movie for my kids it brought back a memory of Bobby leading us kids in a dancing train around their house on a friday night to a disney song.  As a little girl I looked up to him so much for his fun and affectionate personality.

He was incredibly generous too.  He used to stop by our house on Saturday mornings sometimes and usually when he did he would slip me and my brothers a $20 bill.  As a kid I felt positively rich after spending time with Bobby - not just from them money :)  but from the way he made me feel so special and loved. 
 
Bobby loved others well.  That is what I will remember most about him - his loyalty and love.  (And maybe some $20 bills...)  
He will not be forgotten and will always be missed.

Many years ago, Ralph & I went on a fun little trip to San Miguel, Mexico with several HKS couples, including the Booths. While we walked around the historic town center, we encountered a young boy selling packages of Chicklets Chewing Gum.  He had a box full of the gum packages - Bobby bought all of his product.  As you can imagine, the young boy was delighted with such a big sale!  Well, it didn't take long before Bobby started giving the little children in town the Chicklets. A few minutes later, we turned around to look for Bobby - there he was with a line of about 20 children with their little hands held up waiting to receive their Chicklets. Those children were so excited and thrilled over that small act of kindness. As you would expect, he gave every piece of his gum away to those children. We will forever miss Bobby and his kind, generous heart.

Years ago the Booths, Dickersons and Lafittes went on an outing to Lyn Creek Marina. Bob Dickerson had just bought a new Sea Ray boat. As we all know, Bobby loved fancy high end things such as cars and boats. Bobby, after admiring Bob's new boat for some time asked "So Bob, how much did this boat cost?" Bob told him and Bobby responded, "Hum, well I don't want one but i'm glad to know i could write a check for one if i did!"
Classic Booth!
We will certainly miss him.

When we were kids, dad would to take the family to Colorado during the summer. I remember a perfect Colorado summer day. We were driving down a country road. Blue skys. Open fields. Big mountains in the background. And dad is driving us in the family suburban with the windows rolled down singing "Walking in Memphis" by Marc Cohn (one of his favorite songs). I was young at the time, but there was such a sense of peace and contentment.