Robert Eugene Winckler
(July 26, 1933- March 28, 2026)

Romans 10:9-10 "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

Robert Eugene (Bob) Winckler went to be with his Lord and Savior on March 28, 2026 at the age of 92. While we are saddened by our loss, we are grateful for the time spent with him and for the full assurance we will see him again.

Bob joins his mother, Ellenore C. Winckler, and father, Clifford E. Winckler. He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Carolyn; daughters Lisa Burns and husband Barry, Robyn Jones and husband Douglas; grandchildren Taylor Nieland and husband Timothy, Kennedy Dominguez and husband Matthew, Connor Jones and wife Michaela, Bailey Ivy and husband Timothy, Cooper Burns; great-grandchildren Maisie and Pippa Nieland, Hazel and Miller Jones; brother Haddon Winckler and wife Judy; niece Denise Chepey and husband Steve, nephew Dean Winckler and wife Paige; and several great nieces and great nephew.

Bob was born in Davenport, Iowa on July 26, 1933 and grew up in the Dallas area where he graduated from Sunset High School. He went on to be a part of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 1955 with a BBA degree in Marketing before serving two years in the United States Army.
Upon his return from service, he attended South Main Baptist Church in Houston where he met the love of his life, Carolyn Mears. After dating for just over a year, they were married and spent time traveling before starting a family.

Bob began his career working for Tenneco Oil Company, a company he relentlessly pursued. When a base level position opened up and he was offered the job as an oil scout, he accepted and stated, "I will soon prove myself to be an asset to this company." He did just that and his efforts paid off. He held many positions during his 30 years including Landman, Chief Landman, Director of Land Management and Negotiations, Director of the Business Development Department, and ultimately Vice President of Business and Development.  In his final role he organized, directed, and coordinated the sale of Tenneco Oil Exploration and Production.  The process involved thirty-eight data rooms in six cities throughout the United States and one in Norway.  Using a unique presentation procedure, the sale exceeded expectations by over a billion dollars resulting in a $6.4 billion cash sale, which was the largest divestiture in the history of American business at the time.

Upon retirement, Bob actively served Spring Baptist Church as one of four trustees, was a member of the Board of Directors of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Foundation, a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas A&M 12th Man Foundation in College Station, TX, along with several positions for his homeowner's association and MUD district. Every summer, he enjoyed escaping the hot Houston weather with Carolyn by residing in their mountain cabin in Colorado where he served his community as treasurer, secretary and president of the Sportsman's Paradise Board of Directors.

Not only did he give back with time, but financially contributed to Spring Baptist Church, Community Fellowship of Christians, Texas A&M University, and many charitable organizations that were near to his heart such as CareNet Pregnancy Center, Samaritan's Purse, and Salvation Army. To honor his parents, Carolyn, and his children, he created several endowments including:

•    Robert E. and Carolyn M. Winckler 12th Man Scholarship, February 1987
•    The Ellenore and Clifford Winckler Endowment, W.A. Criswell Foundation, December 1988
•    Lisa W. Burns and Robyn W. Jones 12th Man Scholarship, January 1994
•    Clifford E. Winckler 12th Man Foundation Scholarship, August 1999
•    The Ellenore Catherine Winckler Conference Room at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, October 2002

While his accomplishments were many, he prioritized time with family and friends for every holiday and special occasion. He loved attending Texas A&M football, baseball, and basketball games and invited others to join as much as possible. He valued his weekly Wednesday morning Starbucks meetings with friends. In earlier years, he enjoyed The Houston Symphony, watching the Houston Oilers, the Houston Texans, the Houston Astros, the Houston Rockets, the Dallas Cowboys, golfing, and world travel.

Regardless of his achievements and titles, his favorite ones were husband to Carolyn, Dad to his two daughters, Grandad to his five grandchildren, and Great-Grandad to his four great-grandchildren. Bob lived purposefully and shared the love of Christ on many occasions. Never did a family event happen when we didn't hear him share the gospel to those around him. His tremendous legacy of love, generosity, gratitude and family strength will live on in all who knew him and for generations to come.

Memorial contributions may be made to:
1.    Spring Baptist Church
633 E. Louetta Road, Spring, Texas 77373
2.    CareNet
14530 Wunderlich Dr.
Houston, TX 77069

Link to the Live Stream of the Service