Bobby Stephens, 89, of North Little Rock, Arkansas, died on Thursday, June 26, 2025 in Little Rock, Arkansas. He was preceded in death by his parents, Rosie and Johnie, his brother, Larry, and his beloved wife of 61 years, Mary.
He is survived by daughters, Dana Parker of North Little Rock, Suzie Thames and husband, Glenn, of Tyler, Texas, and Renee Cotton of North Little Rock; grandchildren, Tyler Parker, Jeremy Thames and wife, Ariel, Parker Thames and wife, Adriana, Dawson Thames, Jacob Wilson, and Chandler Martin and husband, Cole; four great-grandchildren, and several cousins.
Bobby was born on February 23, 1936, in Jarrell Switch, near McKenzie, Tennessee. He grew up without electricity or running water, but graduated from Millington High School, served in the United States Air Force, and earned a BSBA from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. For many years, Bobby was a dedicated air traffic controller. As president of the local union, Bobby fought with FAA executives over numerous safety concerns. When that fight cost him his job, Bobby didn’t back down. He continued the fight, ultimately forcing operational improvements and winning reinstatement with full back pay and benefits. When he retired, that experience led Bobby back to law school at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where he earned a JD in 1984.
Although supposedly retired, Bobby remained active for many years, working for law firms, serving as an expert witness in air crash cases, and even selling insurance. However, his career paled in comparison to his one true love—family. In 1958, Bobby married Mary Katherine Reynolds. Together, they raised three girls, and their home became the center of many extended family gatherings, with Mary’s cooking taking center stage and Bobby documenting everything with his video and still cameras for inclusion amongst his treasured family history files. They were blessed with six grandchildren before Mary died in 2019, and although Bobby welcomed 4 great-grandchildren in the years after, he was never the same. Thanks to the grace of Jesus Christ, Bobby is now back at Mary’s side, smiling and laughing again. +
The family thanks the staff at Wellington Woods Memory Care and House of Three for their devoted care of Bobby. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2, at Brummitt-McKenzie Funeral Home in McKenzie, Tennessee. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m., Thursday, July 3, at Seminary Cemetery in Weakley County, Tennessee. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at Brumitt-McKenzie Funeral Home, 1740 Cedar St., McKenzie, TN 38201 or online at
www.brummittmckenziefuneralhome.com.
