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It is with
great regret and sorrow that I must notify you of the death of our classmate,
Bob Harrell on 8 September 2023, in Spoken, WA.
Well done, Bob. Be thou at peace.
Remembrances:
Obituaries:
Robert Grantham Harrell
Bobby came to West Point from New Mexico. He was born on the 8th
of June 1938 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His parents were Joshua Rhodes
Harrell and Irma Linn Grantham. He graduated from Carlsbad High School and
also attended the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico for
one year before he arrived at West Point.
Bobby grew
up in Carlsbad, NM and graduated from Carlsbad high school with accolades as
a track athlete and excellent grades. Bob's father, Joshua Rhodes, grew up
poor in Louisiana and dreamed of his boys being able to attend West Point. He
lobbied the local congressperson to get their recommendations.
Bobby’s brother John
Rhodes Harrell also graduated from West Point and was a member of the class
of 1959. He served in Vietnam and passed away on July 16, 2024, in Smyrna,
Tennessee.
As a cadet in Company E-2, Bobby participated in many activities including the
Class Committee, Ring and Crest Committee, Public Relations Council
President, Sunday School Teacher, Debate Council and Forum, Pointer, Glee
Club, and Outdoor Sports Club. A good athlete, he competed in Corps squad
sports including Track and Cross Country. First Class year found him a cadet
captain assigned to the 2nd Regimental staff. This took him out of
Company E-2 activities but gave him the opportunity to have a broader scope
of involvement in the Corps of Cadets.
His classmate, Dick Knoblock recalls that Bobby was his Regimental Supply
Officer in First Class year: We occupied the same barracks space that year
and all of my staff would agree that Bob was the "energizer bunny" of the
group. His quick wit seemed a perfect blend to his quick step, and it seemed
he could charm a bird out of a tree and turn a complete fiasco into a
delightful stroll in the park. I witnessed these wonderful assets in his
relationships with staff and on those occasions, we were in the spotlight of
Regimental issues. Since I was from New York he got to meet my family and
several gals who were picked out of my High School black book and dated
Bobby. One weekend the Glee Club performed at a local event in New Jersey.
Local families agreed to host Glee Club members who were at their homes for
dinner and overnight. The family that Bob and I stayed with had a daughter
who invited friends to join the group for a very pleasant social evening. My
assigned convertible couch in the family den was providing a peaceful rest
when in the middle of the night I heard a commotion upstairs where Bobby was
assigned a spare bedroom. The commotion subsided and I learned the next
morning that he had gone to the bathroom and mistakenly returned to the wrong
room where two of the girls were staying. Breakfast was pretty tense until
Bob's charm took over and avoided an international incident with a convincing
honest mistake defense. Bob was one of the most loyal friends I had at West
Point and while our paths never crossed after graduation except at reunions,
he embraced me and my family as if we were one.
When Bobby graduated, he was commissioned in the artillery and was
assigned to the 81st Artillery in Germany. He married Mary Wallace
on 5 May 1962. They had three sons before their divorce in 1969. Bobby Harrell is survived by his three sons: James Grantham
Harrell, John Wallace Harrell, and Robert Gayle Harrell. He would also have
five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Bobby resigned from the Army in 1966 and became a stockbroker with Paine,
Webber, Jackson & Curtis Company.
Bobby was passionate about the
environment and constantly advocated for sustainability, at one point
starting a recycling company.
He was an avid skier who was frequently seen carving the snow and jumping on
the slopes of Santa Fe and Taos. Overall, he loved the outdoors and was
always in nature and hiking, even into his 80s. His career in the restaurant
business included overseeing many stores in the Southwest.
He was an expert in astronomy and could name seemingly every star in the sky,
constantly teaching his kids about constellations. One of his greatest
qualities was his interest in everyone and his ability to talk to any
stranger. He knew people everywhere he went, and they walked around with him
in Santa Fe as you would have thought he was the mayor. Most importantly, he
noticed and paid attention to people regardless of their station in life, and
for many people his recognition of them may have been the only time they were
really seen that day. He >was a good friend to all who knew him. Everyone
experienced a feeling of sincere and lasting friendship. Those who joked with
him found wit and humor.
His outstanding successes promised a great future in all of his endeavors.
Bobby passed away on September 8, 2023, in
Spokane, Washington. He is fondly remembered by all who knew him.
Assembly/Taps Memorial Article:
Robert G. Harrell 1961
Cullum No. 23504-1961 | September
8, 2023 | Died in Spokane,
WA
Cremated.
Robert Grantham “Bobby” Harrell came to West Point from
New Mexico. He was born on June 8, 1938 in Baton Rouge, LA. His parents were
Joshua Rhodes Harrell and Irma Linn Grantham. A track athlete with excellent
grades, he graduated from Carlsbad High School and attended the New Mexico
Military Institute in Roswell, NM for one year before he arrived at West
Point. Bobby’s father, Joshua Rhodes, grew up poor in Louisiana and dreamed
of his boys being able to attend West Point (Bobby’s brother John Rhodes
Harrell also graduated from West Point and was a member of the Class of 1959
who served in Vietnam and passed away on July 16, 2024 in Smyrna, TN).
As a cadet in Company E-2, Bobby
participated in many activities, including the Class Committee, Ring and
Crest Committee, Public Relations Council (president), Sunday School, Debate
Council and Forum, Pointer, Glee Club, and Outdoor Sports Club. A good
athlete, he competed in corps squad sports, including Track and Cross
Country. His First Class year found him a cadet captain assigned to the
staff of Second Regiment. This took him out of Company E-2 activities but
gave him the opportunity to have a broader scope of involvement in the Corps
of Cadets.
Dick Knoblock, his classmate, recalls
that Bobby was his regimental supply officer during First Class year: “We
occupied the same barracks space that year, and all of my staff would agree
that Bob was the ‘energizer bunny’ of the group. His quick wit seemed a
perfect blend to his quick step, and it seemed he could charm a bird out of
a tree and turn a complete fiasco into a delightful stroll in the park. I
witnessed these wonderful assets in his relationships with staff and on
those occasions, we were in the spotlight of regimental issues. Since I was
from New York he got to meet my family and several gals who were picked out
of my high school black book and date them. One weekend the Glee Club
performed at a local event in New Jersey. Local families agreed to host Glee
Club members who were at their homes for dinner and overnight. The family
that Bobby and I stayed with had a daughter who invited friends to join the
group for a very pleasant social evening. My assigned convertible couch in
the family den was providing a peaceful rest when, in the middle of the
night, I heard a commotion upstairs, where Bobby was assigned a spare
bedroom. The commotion subsided, and I learned the next morning that he had
gone to the bathroom and mistakenly returned to the wrong room, ending up
where two of the girls were staying. Breakfast was pretty tense until
Bobby’s charm took over and avoided an international incident with a
convincing ‘honest mistake’ defense. Bobby was one of the most loyal friends
I had at West Point; and, while our paths never crossed after graduation
(except at reunions), he embraced me and my family as if we were one.”
When Bobby graduated, he was commissioned
in the Field Artillery and was assigned to the 81st Field Artillery Regiment
in Germany. He married Mary Wallace on May 5, 1962. They had three sons
before their divorce in 1969. Bobby Harrell is survived by his three sons:
James Grantham Harrell, John Wallace Harrell, and Robert Gayle Harrell. He
also had five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Bobby resigned
from the Army in 1966 and became a stockbroker with Paine, Webber, Jackson &
Curtis.
Bobby was passionate about the
environment and constantly advocated for sustainability, at one point
starting a recycling company.
He was an avid skier who was frequently
seen carving the snow and jumping on the slopes of Santa Fe, NM and Taos,
NM. Overall, he loved the outdoors and was always hiking in nature, even
into his 80s. His career in the restaurant business included overseeing many
stores in the Southwest.
He was an expert in astronomy and could
name seemingly every star in the sky, constantly teaching his kids about
constellations. One of his greatest qualities was his interest in everyone
and his ability to talk to any stranger. He knew people everywhere he went,
and they walked around with him in Santa Fe as you would have thought he was
the mayor. Most importantly, he noticed and paid attention to people
regardless of their station in life; and, for many people, his recognition
of them may have been the only time they were really seen that day. He was a
good friend to all who knew him. Everyone experienced a feeling of sincere
and lasting friendship. Those who joked with him found wit and humor.
His outstanding successes promised a
great future in all his endeavors. Bobby passed away on September 8, 2023,
in Spokane, WA. He is fondly remembered by all who knew him.
—
Family and Classmates
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