Obituary of Robert Emil Givens

Robert “Bob” Emil Givens of Irving, Texas joined the angels in Heaven on August 2, 2020 at the age of 83. He passed away after bravely battling a stroke with his loving wife of 58 years and both daughters by his side. Bob was born on November 16, 1936 in Fort Worth, Texas to Henry Givens and Helen Griffin Givens. He attended high school at Pascal High School in Fort Worth and then secured a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pre Med and later got his teaching credentials in Chemistry from The University of Texas.At The University of Texas Bob met the love of his life, Sarah Cummings. They were married on June 2, 1962 at University Avenue Church of Christ in Austin, Texas. Bob was a life- long Longhorns’ fan and never was happier than when his Longhorns won on the football field.Bob was a high school Chemistry teacher at Irving High School. Continuing his love of learning, he became one of the early programmers for LTV in Grand Prairie and then worked for financial institutions including the Dallas Federal Reserve and MBNA (Bank of America). He was known for finding a way to solve any problem and helped these institutions automate payments from customers.Bob passed on his love of learning to his daughters. They both early realized that attending college was an option for others but not for them. They received undergraduate degrees and secured advanced degrees. Bob believed that he could learn anything with a book. This included numerous house and car repairs. The love of the outdoors, hiking and rock climbing were early passions for Bob. He was a member of the Sierra Club and cherished making it to a mountain top. Family vacations usually included adventures in Colorado while camping in tents. He also had a love of classical music but enjoyed Chicago, Pink Floyd, Lady Gaga, The Beatles and Abba.Enthusiastic about politics, Bob always shared his thoughts but respected the opinions of others. After President Kennedy’s assassination, Bob attend numerous community meetings on what happened during the assassination. He was passionate about the Civil Rights and strongly supported the Black Lives Matter Movement.Bob was a faithful member of Christ Church in Irving, Texas. He was loved by the congregation and known for his different hats. He had truly missed time in worship with his church family during the Pandemic.Bob is survived by Sarah his wife; their daughter Lori Little and her husband Bill Little; their daughter Shelley Thurman and her husband Brent Thurman (who preceded Bob in death); three grandchildren, Amanda Brooke Thurman, Charles Sumner Little and Matthew Joseph Little and Bob’s close first cousin Elizabeth Sims and her husband Richard. His kindness and wisdom will be missed by loved ones and all who knew him.