Bobby Lee Corder

Bobby Lee Corder, 86, passed peacefully on June 24, 2026, with his loving wife Mary by his side.

Born July 30, 1939, in Tupelo, Mississippi, Bobby was the second of four children of Lester Lee "Bud" and Lucy Carolyn Corder.

Bobby attended Little Cypress High School where he was the first-ever Bears quarterback in 1955. When football season ended, you could find him playing basketball. On the diamond, he was an all-state pitcher who led his team to multiple district titles. His athleticism also led him to a boxing match at just 9 years old and sharp shooting competitions with the Sabine Junior Rifle Club. In later years, Bobby returned to his alma mater to announce football games as the "Golden Voice of the Battling Bears." He also was a referee with the Texas High School Basketball Officials Association.

His sportsmanship was matched only by his love for music. Bobby served as music director at Little Cypress Baptist Church for 17 years, where one of his greatest joys was leading the Celebration Singers in praise to his Lord Jesus Christ.

After attending Lamar University, Bobby spent his career in the industrial field. He dedicated 36 years to DuPont before overseeing Neches Industrial Park as Executive Vice President. He then became a senior project manager at Process Technical Services before retiring. He believed in the value of hard work and handed those lessons down to his sons.

When he found time to relax, he did so by cheering on the Astros and improving his golf game. Later, he traded time on the links for more precious moments with his family. He was a chauffeur for his always-busy wife and the first taste-tester to her cooking. Bobby earned the title of Paw Paw and cherished it. He was a source of constant laughs, golf-cart rides, and endless love for his granddaughters, and later their children, who he visited every chance he could.

He influenced countless lives and was often thanked by those who said they were better for knowing him.

Bobby was preceded in death by his parents, brother William "Bill" Corder, sister Judy Gail Guidry, and brother-in-law Leonard Breaux.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 68 years, Mary Elizabeth; their two sons, Craig Corder (Kristin) and Michael Corder (Julie); sister, Nancy Breaux; sister-in-law, Barbara Corder; brother-in-law, Jimmy Guidry; and granddaughters, Mary Jennifer Corder, Jillian Renard (Brady), Hannah Swift (Harrison), and Claire Jones (Peyton). Bobby deeply loved his five great-grandchildren: Phillip Michael, Chapel Kate, Katherine Elizabeth, Noah Claire, and John Shepherd. He was eagerly awaiting the arrival of two more blessings.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date to honor his legacy.