Bobby D. Haun, Sr.

Bobby D. Haun, Sr. passed away peacefully in his home at 12:45 pm on September 7, 2023 holding hands with both of his children.

Bobby was born on Monday September 20, 1937 at the family home south of Jonesboro in the Mt. Pisgah community. He was the second child of Roy and Faye Haun.  He would eventually have four siblings, Jerald (Dee), Nina, Claude (Rip) and Nanette.  His family’s farm life was a humble but solid existence due to the hard work ethic expected by his father, who also had a gravel hauling business and his mother, who ran the operations on the farm. They were taught the responsibilities of work and land management since, as the great grandchildren of some of the founders of the Mt. Pisgah community, the family did have ownership of their land.

Bobby attended grade school at the Mt. Pisgah elementary school and finished his public schooling at Valley View. He was an excellent student particularly in math and problem-solving, as well as abstract thinking. These skills would serve him well throughout his life.

It was during these formative years that he began to show a great interest in music, primarily the piano. His mother told stories of him rushing home from school, finishing his farm work as soon as possible and racing back to the house to sit down at the family’s piano to practice his newly self-taught skill before supper time.

He eventually became quite good at piano and enjoyed this for the rest of his life.

He graduated high school in 1955 and enrolled at Arkansas State College. He remained an excellent student and graduated with a business degree.  Many days, he and his brother Dee would ride to school with their father in his dump truck. Other times, they might hitch a ride with a friend with access to a car.

While in college, he joined the Arkansas National Guard. During his tenure, he was deployed on several operations, was awarded several accommodations for marksmanship and attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. In 1957, his National Guard unit was called to secure the area around Central High School in Little Rock to protect the Little Rock Nine. He was always proud of the job they did on that mission as well as the positive attitudes of his fellow soldiers.

After a brief testing of the waters in California, he returned and began work at the Singer factory in Trumann. Several months later, he began working with E. C. Barton Lumber Company of Jonesboro. While at Barton’s, he rose to the position of sales manager, which he held for 10 years. During this time, he became skilled in various aspects of construction.  It was during this time he noticed property for sale on Neely Road on the edge of the Jonesboro city limits. He made a command decision to buy 40 acres there. A decision that would prove to be a prosperous one for him and his family.

During this period, he would marry the love of his life, Jo Ann and they would have their two children, Bobby, Jr. and Amy.

In the late 60’s, Jo Ann and 3 of her friends would form a gospel singing group, The Trebletones, and he would design and operate their stage sound system. The group would perform for the next 30 years.

In 1973 he made a life changing decision and decided to leave Barton’s where he had a very secure job and contracted with MFA Mutual Insurance (now Shelter Mutual) Company to start his own agency from scratch. As he did all his life, he used his intelligence and hard work to create an incredibly successful agency and career that supported his family extremely well, an agency that he owned  for 50 years and one that continues to this day.

In the early 90s, he turned his attention to the 40 acres he purchased in 1972. He designed a residential subdivision that would be named Tower Park.  Because of his aforementioned natural abilities in math and problem-solving and his experience in the construction business, he was able to do the majority of the designing of the subdivision and even made corrections and adjustments to the engineering work for the roads and utilities. And this, like his other endeavors, turned out to be a great success and as of today, 59 of the 64 lots developed have had beautiful homes on them for the last 20 years.  He left a great legacy for his clients and the community at large.

When it came to his children, he and Jo Ann were fully committed at all levels. No matter how busy he was, no matter what other obligations he was under, he never missed ball games or other activities. Not only this, but he made sure to be an integral part of their development, making the time to practice with them, think through skills and techniques that would help them in whatever sport or activity or studies with which they were involved, even sports he had never played. Case in point, he designed and purchased the materials and constructed a batting cage for Bobby and Amy. This was not a kit. It was a fully enclosed batting cage that he designed constructed right down to weaving pieces of net together that comprised the cage walls. He augmented one of Bobby’s kicking shoes by having a shoe repair shop add stability features that he designed. He had never played the game of football, yet such was his ability to invent a solution. He and Jo Ann also coached Amy‘s youth softball team for six seasons. They were undefeated in city league play all six seasons.

When he was 60 years old, he began what was his most meaningful journey of his life. It was at this time that Jo Ann was diagnosed with early-onset dementia. As was the case all his life, he was all in, and demanded to be her primary caretaker. This arduous task would go on for the next 20 years. During the entire time he kept her at home, even as the disease progressed to the point that she needed assistance with every aspect of her life, until she passed away at his age 81.

“Bob” as he came to be known, had a wonderful life born of intelligence, hard work, intellectual curiosity, appreciation of music, global travel as well as human interaction and conversation.

He was a devoted husband to Jo Ann. He was a kind of “ renaissance Dad” to Bobby and Amy.

He loved all his family and very much and enjoyed any excuse for a family gathering. He was always so appreciative of his customers, many of whom still tell stories of him helping them out in a time of need.

He was a steadfast provider, protecter and caretaker to his family. He was a man’s man of good cheer. His family, friends and community miss him dearly.

A memorial service will be at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, April 20, in Emerson Memorial Chapel. Visitation will precede the service from 12 noon until service time in the chapel.

For lasting memorials, the family asks that consideration be given to a mission  project, humane society or any charity of the donor's choice.