Robbye Bland
February 3, 1934 - July 3, 2010
Robbye Smith Devine Bland of Fayetteville was born on February 3, 1934, and departed suddenly on July 3, 2010, in Little Rock. She and her twin sister were born in Crossett, AR, to Elmer Newton and Virginia Ola Smith, who predeceased her. She was also preceded in death by her eldest sister, Carrie Louise Lay. Her husband Robert Devine, the father of her children, died in 1965. Her husband Bob Bland died in 1994.
Robbye's survivors include her two daughters, Beverly Devine of Little Rock, and Renae Hightower (Jim) of Fayetteville. Her grandchildren are Lydia Hightower Harrigan (John) of Kansas City, Missouri; Will Hightower (Kelly) of Conway; Erin Hightower of Conway; and Leah Braswell (Erica) of Little Rock. Robbye was extremely proud of her great-grandchildren: Benjamin, Samuel, and Bethany Harrigan; and Ross and Reid Braswell. One of her greatest joys was getting to meet her newest great-grandchild, Bethany, who was born just 11 days before her death. Surviving sisters are her twin sister Bobbye Phillips of Fayetteville, Virginia Ethel Dees of Stuttgart, Shirley Lee of Stuttgart, and Sue Rice of Heber Springs. She was also greatly loved by five nieces and a nephew.
Robbye had a personality never-to-be forgotten. If you ever wanted to know her opinion about politics, all you had to do was ask. She explained the night before her death that she had changed from a yellow-dog Democrat to a Republican. She also mentioned that her mansion in heaven might be smaller because she had been a devoted Democrat all those years! She was a joy to know. Laughter flowed from Robbye like water from a fountain. She laughed heartily every day of her life. She was also a committed Christian who raised her daughters in the Baptist faith in McGehee; the family was in church at least three times a week (and more often during the seasonal revivals). After her move to Fayetteville, she became a member of Central United Methodist Church. She prayed diligently for her family and enjoyed participating in Bible studies over the years. She loved flowers, bird watching, walks with grandchildren, artistic endeavors, chocolate, and anything sweet. She was an accomplished seamstress who fashioned clothing, draperies, and pillows for her family and friends. She worked for ten years at the Wesley Foundation on the University of AR campus in Fayetteville where she impacted the lives of countless students with her love for the Lord.
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