Bobby Billhimer

Bobby was born on April 29, 1966, Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland to Robert and Ramon Billhimer, Jr. of Silver Springs, Maryland. Bobby, age 58, had not been feeling well, went to his family doctor in Dallas and he requested x-rays and blood tests. The blood tests came back questionable, his doctor ordered him to check into the ER of Medical City Hospital-Dallas which he did on Thursday September 12th for examination. On Sunday the 15th, he was told he has HCC Liver Cancer. He went to MD Anderson, Houston on Wednesday October 2nd for a second opinion and after more tests was told on Thursday the 3rd that he had Stage 4 Liver Cancer and only had 3 months to live. After a stint procedure to the liver to open the 2 blocked bio-ducts on the 7th he was then discharged on Monday the 14th and flew back to Midland, to his parents’ home with Hospice care starting on Tuesday, 15th of October. Bobby passed away peacefully during the early morning hours of Saturday October 26th. (Would a CT scan at age 50 have changed his outcome?)

Bobby began his education at Echo Valley Elementary School, Stow, Ohio. While living the next 6 years in El Paso, TX, he completed elementary school and graduated to Junior High. With another move to Midland, TX on January 3, 1980 he continued his education at Goddard Junior High, Midland Freshman, and graduated from Midland High School in May of 1985. He then attended Midland College for 1 year and then transferred to UT Arlington to continue his college education. Bobby worked all through high school with Allega Travel and Holiday Travel both after school and with Clayton Williams during the summers, only along with the 2 travel agencies and saved most of what he earned in his Credit Union savings account.

During the fall of 1988, Bobby answered an ad with Delta Air Lines for a reservation position at the Delta Call Center at 8700 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas. He was hired on November 5, 1988 and began a 35-year career with Delta. A highlight, with some coworkers they planned a trip around the world at no cost, with airline passes and being on the standby passengers list at certain airports and flying during off hours, it worked! The only cost was for meals and lodging when not on a plane. During the spring of 1995, Delta was low on Flight Attendants and recruited from within Delta’s Non-In-Flight Service employees. On March 22, 1995, Bobby and many coworkers from reservations began their Flight Attendant training program at Delta’s training facility in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduation he was first assigned to Boston, then Dallas Fort Worth and with the last being based in Atlanta where he commuted from his home in Addison, TX when his schedule permitted. Bobby enjoyed Atlanta because he had the opportunity to fly all over the world where Delta flew. Delta began a Code-Share program with Virgin Atlantic where a group of Delta Flight Attendants were selected including Bobby for a training program at London/Heathrow at the Virgin Atlantic’s training facility. Bobby got to meet and talk with Sir Richard Branson on several occasions during his time at the Virgin Atlantic’s headquarters.

Bobby was an avid collector of anything involving commercial aviation and has a large collection of die-cast models of most of all domestic and international airlines on display in his Airplane Room. On his bucket list were 3 trips he will never make now, first is the shortest flight for any commercial airline of 90 seconds in the Orkney Islands off of the northern coast of Scotland. He was also going to fly to another Orkney Island where planes can only take off or land at low tide. The big trip was to Singapore where he wanted to stay at a hotel inside the airport terminal for a few days and take pictures of some foreign airlines that he had never seen before. While in reservations he and other coworkers made 6 trips to South Korea to shop and have custom cloths made. Another planned trip by several coworkers was a camera Safari in Kenya, Africa where they witnessed part of the great migration. Bobby and his mother were always flying to countries in Europe and also to the Greek island of Santorini which they visited twice. On June 17, 1994 Bobby made the biggest financial decision in his life when he purchased his first and only home at the age of 28 years. At the closing the lady said, you have twice the amount of the home in your Credit Union, are you sure you don’t want to pay cash for this home. Bobby replied that he had no credit history and this is a good way to begin one and that he intended to pay it off early anyway. On March 11, 2006, Bobby paid off the remaining balance of his mortgage within 12 years. Bobby celebrated his 50th birthday, April 29, 2016, on the Great Wall of China which he marked off his bucket list.

Bobby spent his free time planning future trips, attending Airline Memorabilia and Collectibles Shows during the year at the major airports in the USA, spending time at the family’s place on New Smyrna Beach, FL and with the recent passing of his mother he wanted to spend as much time as he could with his father in Midland. He also took pride in surprising his mother when she was flying either on a church mission trip to Uganda or Iraq or a pleasure trip with friends to Europe, he would get her flight schedule and then plan his Delta schedule where he would be at the same airport as his mother, which was always a pleasant surprise for his mother and Bobby as well.

Bobby was preceded in death by his mother, Ramon B. Billhimer, on February 23, 2024 while on an FPC Uganda Water Well Ministry trip to Uganda, Africa. He is survived by his father, Robert (Bob) Billhimer, Jr and his aunt Jennifer Brown of Farmers Branch, TX and cousins, Susan, Stefanie, Reggie and his Delta Family of many years. The family would like to express their gratitude for the wonderful care and comfort that was provided by the Four Hospice Angels: Kayla, Mackenzie, Claire, and Louise during Bobby’s last week on earth.

A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday December 14, 2024 at 11:00 AM, First Presbyterian Church, 800 West Texas Ave, Midland, Texas. In lieu of flowers, while still at MD Anderson, I asked about flowers, Bobby said, “Donations to My Mom’s Water Well Projects in Uganda”. Memorial donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 800 West Texas Ave, Midland, Texas 79701, in the memo write, “Uganda Water Wells” or make a donation to a charity of one’s choice.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory in Midland.

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