Guestbook

It's been three years and not a day has gone by without Bobby in my thoughts. He is with me in spirit and cheering me on.

This was an invitation to Bobby's birthday party 10 years ago

Today's #38 for you, Bob - Happy Birthday!

You never drift too far from my thoughts.

Bobby was my first crush, as I'm sure he was many other young girls. We both attended Parsons elementary and Atkins Jr. High. Strangely, I just learned of Bobby's passing through googling the people I thought would have really done something great in their life. I'm deeply saddened that he is gone, but not at all surprised at what he accomplished on this earth. He was magnificent in so many ways. From the Peter Pan production at Tech, to his crowd pleasing performance at my 15th birthday party, "Knock it Off!", to the awesome works of art in his gallery!! The world is a better place for having you, and thanks for the memories that will live in my heart forever.

Bobby, it has been 2 years and I think about you quite often. Wherever you may roam I hope you are experiencing freedom at its highest. I miss you my friend and have a heartful of memories that I think about and can only help but to smile because you helped to place them there. See you my dear old friend. Mr and Mrs Paterson and Eddy, I love you too !

Matthew Britton

I knew Bobby all through high school. My friend Maria Perez introduced me to him because he had such a crush on him. He was so cute and we loved his personality. His brother Eddy was very good friends with my brother David and David and Bobby acted together throughout high school. I just came across this website when I was thinking about Bobby due to my own tragedy of my husband John recently passing away last month and I was reflecting on my life. I think, hmmm....could Bobby be meeting my John up in heaven? Maybe so...those two would get along fantastically. Both have generous hearts and beautiful souls. I'm thinking of you all. Love, Alison

Goodbye old friend.
Love Dave Knapp

Bobby was one of the most talented and giving students I ever had the privilege of working with. He made people happy. I really enjoyed this thoughtful and beautiful website. :-)

Dear Eddy, Kirsten and Mr. and Mrs. Patterson,

Today I was shocked and saddened to learn of Bobby's passing. Thank you for this website and guestbook. I appreciate this chance to tell you how terrific a person I think Bobby was, and how sorry I am for your loss.

I lost touch with Bobby--as I did with all of my "Lubbock life"--in 1985, upon graduating from Lubbock High and moving away from Texas. But, over the course of my many moves since then (in fact, probably, because of those moves), my memories of Lubbock have grown increasingly precious to me, and many of those memories--one way or another--involve Bobby.

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I don't remember precisely when Bobby and I met, but it would have been in 1 of several venues where Lubbock kids who enjoyed the performing arts all were meeting each other back then: Cindy [last name?'s] "Young Actor's Workshop" at Texas Tech, one of Enid Racz's dance productions, or my mom's "Shake Hands With Your Future" summer camp.

Actually, now that I think about it, I believe that I met Bobby as a fellow actor in Cindy's second musical review at Tech, in which Bobby sang ... something. I can't remember the song. But I remember his voice. Booming, wide-ranging, and full of character. That skinny kid didn't just have a great pair of lungs. He had a 3-octave range, and I can see his face now, from the side, as he looked out at the audience: serious, for once, and falling right into his role. I think that it was in that musical that Bobby and I first became friends, and got a glimpse of Bobby's many talents.

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My friendship with Bobby grew substantially the (next?) summer when Bobby and I attended "Shake Hands With Your Future." Bobby was the most popular kid there, needless to say. And, having gotten to know each other in Cindy's musical, we decided to put together an act for the Shake Hands talent show. Our choice: "Baba O'Reilly" by The Who. I think that Baba O'Reilly must be a tough song to perform even for Roger Daltry and Pete Townsend, and in those days (I think Bobby had just finished 9th grade), Bobby and I didn't even have any musical instruments, much less knowledge of how to play instruments (and there were only 2 of us), but that didn't stop our plans.

My friend from Christ The King Junior High School, John Filippone, was in town from Deerfield, and while at CTK, John and I had discovered a common interest in guitar, thus starting a 4-year process of planning for and occasionally even practicing to be in a band--the "Vomiting Lizards," I think--during summers when John was in town.

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I suggested to Bobby that we draft John (who had attended Shake Hands previously) to play guitar with us in the show. Someone else played the drums, I played keyboards, Bobby Sang--and voila! It was awful!!! But it was one of the most fun 7 minutes of my life!!!!! And it had the effect of introducing Bobby and John to one another and getting them together on stage for the first time ever.

The next year Bobby and I enrolled in Cindy's weekly acting classes at Tech (now part of "Shake Hands'" new "Super Saturdays" program), but I didn't learn much acting there. I think poor Cindy didn't quite know what to do with this skinny, funny blonde kid named Bobby who clearly was the best actor in the class, but who also was developing a talent in the area of "girls" to compete with his focus on thespianism. Even when Bobby and I weren't skipping acting class to play pinball downstairs in the student union at Tech, we mostly spent our time in class honing harmonic versions of "Sandman" and "Let's Go to the Lobby" and performing for the girls. (We were the only 2 boys.) The thing is: Bobby didn't NEED to practice like everyone else. He was and always would be better than everyone else, practice or not.

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During my senior year at LHS, Bobby joined the school as a sophomore and starred opposite Deanna Shoemaker in the school's production of "The Fantastiks." I played piano. David Baron and Adam Harvey played really terrific acting roles. And Deanna and Bobby started dating.

As a loving tribute to her, that spring in LHS's own talent show, Bobby and I decided to perform Led Zeppelin's "Tangerine" and dedicate it "To Deanna Shoe and Sweet Jaleen (my girlfriend), you are our dreams, love Tangerine." The school's Vice Principal Mr Umstot was incensed that we had said something unplanned on stage, but unlike our earlier Who rendition, "Tangerine" actually wasn't terrible, and so that summer--my last in Lubbock--Bobby and I did put together a set of about 15 songs ranging from old Stones ballads to Jimmy Buffet that we finally played -- exactly once -- in a small bar on Broadway right before I moved away.

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It's a testament to how little I knew Bobby, even with so many memories, that I just learned on this website that he and I share the same birthday. I think that's revealing. Many, many people probably have lists as long as mine of Bobby memories, and yet I don't know about most of them. 20 years later, my time with him remains extremely fun and rewarding to me, and his presence--however distant--still fills a big space in my heart, but I know that for every minute I spent with Bobby, there were 100 more that he spent elsewhere, and obviously there were many parts of his life that I never got to discover.

That is my loss, but I don't feel disappointed at all, for even in the brief period of time that it was my luck to know and be friends with Bobby at all, he touched me deeply and in a way that I always will always treasure and enjoy.

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I barely knew Eddy directly. But I have strong and very positive impressions of you from Bobby, all of which reflected a closeness and respect that I found unusual between two brothers of such a young age.

I also have never met you Kirsten, but I know that if Bobby loved you that you must be a really great person and that Bobby must have been practically, embarassingly giddy around you.

I'm very sorry for you Mr and Mrs Patterson, who raised 2 great sons. Great kids almost always come from great parents, and I know that Bobby loved you a lot.

I apologize for taking up so much space in this guest book, but I want all of you to know how much Bobby meant to me and how much I know you meant to him.

With Peace and Love.
Paul Speck

I remember the first Lubbock High Battle of the Bands, circa 1985, where the Rude Boys : Bobby, John, Bumpy, and Hal my brother, won the night! We were all chronicling our teenage angst via musical performance, searching introspectively, and exploding extrovertedly. We all partied one night at Oxford Avenue, and Bobby shone as one who could laugh at self and encourage others' artistic pursuits. I will always appreciate these qualities manifest in this unique individual who spoke of peace and unity before most of us, I at least, had encountered empathy in our own development. Godspeed, Bobby Patterson!

I've known Bobby for over 20 years ago. I was in the 4th or 5th grade and did the production 'Wizard of Oz' with him. I had the biggest crush on him and I remember all of the younger girls (munchkins) in awe of this cool college boy. To tell you the truth, I don't remember if he was a good actor or a crowd favorite (kids my age don't really care about that) but I can tell you he is one of the only people I remember. There has to be a reason for that. He was VERY FUNNY and so kind, and always included the younger kids. He made me feel that I was an important part of the play. He was just a neat guy. I've seen him once or twice since then but not gotten to really visit. I can picture who he turned out to be. If it's anything like he was in "the wizard days", God is having fun and definitely laughing with Bobby.

Bobby was an amazing child and adult. He will be remember and honored by many friends.

Although I didn't stay in touch with Bobby for long, I learned a lot from him. He introduced me to outsider art and one of my now favorite spots, The Webb Gallery in Waxahachie. To this day, I still have a postcard from a Webb Gallery artist Bobby told me about magnetized to my fridge.

Bobby was such a unique, lively and creative person and a witty conversationalist to boot, he definitely made a lasting impression on me.

Tommy and Jeannie, you are our dearest and closest friends. Both of you are in our thoughts every day. I have never known two people who have dealt with such a horrible tragedy like you two have. Your strength is incredible! Bobby was such an outstanding and unique young man. I know your memories are happy ones. We love both of you and continue to admire your courage. Always remember the cross on the ceiling at New Year's. It was truly a "God thing" especially when the colors appeared on it...blue is for healing, gold is for the presence of the Holy Spirit. Peace and love always, Tom and Polly