Robert Bullock

Yep Yep ~ Bulldog Bullock ~ Cooter Jones ~ Grand Bob are several of the names Robert Presley Bullock was known by. He will be remembered for his sense of humor, his love of flying, and his love of family & friends. Dad loved everyone he met, he just loved people and loved to tease them. In high school, he & his brother Chuck had the thrill of their 1st plane ride in a neighbors home-built airplane. Afterwards, he was hooked on flying! He attended Oklahoma A&M then rode his motorcycle to California to work for North American building airplanes. During WWII, he was a pilot and wanted to fly in the European campaign, but his superiors ordered him to stay in the states as an instructor and trainer for desperately needed pilots. After the war, he continued his career of flying by moving to the Dallas area and opening a flight school with a partner. Bullock and Brown Flight Training opened and operated at White Rock Air Port in east Dallas. His commercial airline career began with Pioneer Air Lines which later merged with Continental Airlines. While with Continental he was based at Love Field in Dallas, then Los Angeles International in California, and his final few years before retiring in 1981 at age 60, Dad wanted to fly to New Zealand and Austalia so he became based in Honolulu, Hawaii. What was interesting during this time was that he lived in Miami, Florida. He had to commute from Miami to Honolulu just to go to work! During the Vietnam war he flew what was called M.A.C., Military Airlift Command. Dad transported troops and supplies to and from Saigon, Vietnam. Two things we remember him telling stories of were the mortar rounds hitting the runway when he was landing in Saigon and when transporting our soldiers home the loud cheers our boys let out when theyhad their first site of the USA. One moment that I will never forget is a family vacation. We were flying form California to Texas to visit our relatives. Now, this was the era when people dressed in suits and ties to fly. You put on your Sunday best. I remember the captain of our flight coming back to the passenger area and greeting us. He knew Dad. Then he asked Dad if he could come with him to the cockpit. Dad was gone for what seemed like an unusually long time and we sort of became concerned. We became very concerned when he emerged from the cockpit and his starched white dress shirt was covered in grease! The captain had called Dad up front because of a mechanical problem the plane was having. Just a slight one though, the front landing gear would not go down! Dad had climbed through a trapdoor in the cockpit into the cargo area of the plane and had to hand crank the landing gear down. He had many exciting experiences and too many to mention here. If you would like to read about an incident that made national television news click here. ( a PDF document will open in a new window ) Dad was blessed with excellent health until he fell and broke his leg the day before Thanksgiving.While in ER at Baylor Hospital it was discovered he had Leukemia. It was so aggressive that treatment was not an option. Dad came home to his sons house under the care of hospice where he spent his final days. We were blessed he was not in pain and that he kept his sense of humor to the end. Our greatest joy is thatDad knew the Lord and was ready to be with Him. We were able to discuss Heaven and the joy of being in the Lords presence and the reunion of loved ones who had gone before him. We can only imagine Heaven is being entertained by his playing the Juice Harp! Our lives have forever been blessed by him being a part of ours.Cooter will truly be missed but will live forever in our hearts. Robert Presley Bullock was born on October 22, 1921 in Calumet, Oklahoma. He was the second of four children to George Washington Bullock and Mary Helen Canon Bullock. Dad was preceded in death by: Daughter Vicky Elaine Bullock Daughter Janis Bevil Sister Mary Nowka Parents George & Helen Bullock Dad is survived by: Wife Carrie Daughter Linda Schmidt and husband Fred of Nathrop, Colorado Son Marcus Bullock and wife Cyndie of Mesquite, Texas Stepson Mike McCain of Richardson, Texas Brother Charles Bullock and wife Jeanne of Weatherford, Texas Sister Margaret Winkenhofer of Bowling Green, Kentucky Grandchildren: Connie Drollinger and husband Kim of Fort Worth, Texas Christy Gideon of Austin, Texas Heather Hutchison of Castle Rock, Colorado Zeke Bullock of Mesquite, Texas Elise Henexsonand husband Luke of Mesquite, Texas Bayli Flanagan and husband Chris of Mesquite, Texas Cy Bullock of Mesquite, Texas Great Grandchildren: Cameron Gideon and Lane Henexson And many nieces, nephews, and friends.