Mr. Robert Eustice

Bob Eustice, a native of Arkansas City, Ks. and recently having lived in Burlington for the last seven years passed away on December 1, 2009. He was cared for by the Life Care Center and was lovingly watched over by Jeff and Nancy Simmons of Burlington. Bob was born on January 1, 1926 in Arkansas City, KS. His parents were Thomas A. Eustice and Ruth Erickson Eustice. Bob was a native Kansan who had lived in many places around the country but chose to return to Kansas where he felt at home. Bob grew up in Arkansas City, Kansas, attending school and graduating from Ark City High School where he was a popular student leader, good scholar and athlete. He attended college at Iowa State and the University of Minnesota in the early stages of World War II on the V-12 program. He served in the US Navy from 1943-1946 and was in Shanghai China when the Japanese army surrendered and was on hand to see the processing of the end of the war. After returning home, he graduated from Oklahoma A & M, now Oklahoma State, and married his high school sweetheart, Virginia Lea Stolp. He began his career in the oil and gas marketing business, rising through the ranks and becoming a father to Craig, Brad, and Judd Eustice. They lived in Kansas and Dallas, Texas before moving back to El Dorado, KS where he was a long time district manager of many areas through middle America with America Petrofina. Virginia Eustice passed away in 1968. In the times afterwards, he fell in love again and married Marguerite Heinzle Simmons in 1969. The result was a much larger family with Dayton, Tom, Jeff, Bob, Margaret and Joanna Simmons who he loved and cared for as his own. The family expanded and grew over the years with many grandchildren. The ongoing family adventure moved from Kansas City to Bella Vista and Bentonville, Arkansas where they lived for many years.
He is survived by his sister, Betty Hall of Santa Rosa, California and brother, Richard Eustice of Pasadena, Texas; 9 children, 15 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. He will be in heaven with many family and friends.
Services will be held on December 11, 2009 at St. Francis-Xavier Catholic Church in Burlington, KS at 10:00 A.M. with inurnment at Calvary Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Midland Care Hospice or Life Care Center and may be sent in care of Jones Funeral Home, 801 Garrettson, Burlington, KS.

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