Obituary of Bobby Joe Rolls

Bobby Joe Rolls December 12, 1931 - September 26, 2016 Funeral services for Bobby Joe Rolls, 84, of Lovington, NM will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2016 at 9:00 am at Hillcrest Baptist Church with Bro. Harry Pittam officiating. Burial will follow at Lovington Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Kirby-Smith-Rogers Funeral Home. Bobby was born on December 12, 1931 in Nocona, Texas to Jody and Prestine (Laird) Rolls and passed away on September 26, 2016 in Odessa, Texas. Bobby grew up in Nocona and attended school there, lettering in Track, Basketball and was Captain of the Football team. He attended TCU for one semester on a football scholarship but left to begin working for the Santa Fe Railroad. Later, he went to work for Halliburton where he was employed in many positions for twenty seven years. After retiring from Halliburton he worked for twelve years for Lea County as a jailer and then worked for several years as a pilot driver for oversized oilfield equipment haulers. He married Peggy Whitten on June 8, 1950 and they had four children. Bobby married Emma Jean Oliver in Lovington on February 16, 1980 and they shared thirty six years together. He was a long time member of Hillcrest Baptist Church and was an active member of Lovington Oddfellows Lodge and served as Grand Master for the State of New Mexico in 1998-1999. He was well known for purchasing the first season ticket each year for his beloved Wildcat Football Team and in 2010 he was awarded a plaque for #1 fan by team members and coaches. He loved all of the Lovington Wildcat team sports and spent many hours attending both boys and girls games. He enjoyed traveling but his joy and favorite pastime was fishing at Bonita Lake. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Emma Jean; one son: Travis Crouch and two grandsons: Daniel Clint Layh and Buddy Crouch III. Surviving Bobby are his three daughters: Dona and husband Dearl Edge of Midland, TX; Mary and husband Mike Layh of New Braunfels, TX and Carla Crouch of Carlsbad, NM; three sons: James Lee and wife Barbara Rolls of Odessa, TX; Martin and wife Leslie Rolls of Georgetown, TX and Buddy and wife Bette Crouch of Lovington, NM;one sister: Reba Dean Langford of California; eighteen grandchildren; eighteen grandchildren; twenty one great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. Visitation will be on Friday, September 30, 2016 from noon until 8:00 pm with the family in attendance from 6:00 – 7:00 pm at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Hillcrest Baptist Church, 220 West Ave I, Lovington, NM 88260.