Robert Maury Hightower

Robert Maury Hightower, 73, of Little Rock, died Monday, May 11, 2015 at his home. Bob was born on June 27, 1941, in Ardmore, Oklahoma, to Quinton and Martha Ray Hightower. He was a proud graduate of the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas. He was part of Winthrop Rockefeller's first gubernatorial campaign in the early 1960s. Following that experience, he channeled his desire and talent for effecting social change into a thirty-year career with the United States Department of Labor's Job Corps program. He served as a mentor, leader, and teacher to disadvantaged youth striving for a more successful future. Graduates of the program frequently kept in touch with him to express their gratitude for his guidance. Though he retired from the US Government in 1995, Bob continued seeking out opportunities to serve his community. He worked for the City of Little Rock for several years in the Department of Neighborhood Associations. Following his retirement from the city, he remained active with the Neighborhood Association as a volunteer even after leaving this position. Bob loved animals of all kinds and was especially proud of his Koi pond, where he has raised the same school of fish for 15 years. He was a fan of musicals, with Oklahoma and The Sound of Music topping his list of favorites. In fact, music of all kinds made him very happy and he was a big fan of The Kingston Trio, Neil Diamond, Merle Haggard, and Elvis Presley (among others). He was a dedicated philatelist from childhood. Bob is survived by a family who loved him dearly and will miss him terribly, including his wife, Janie Hoelzeman Hightower; his daughter, Lara Jo Hightower, her husband Justin and children Jack and Emmeline; and his son, Andy Hightower, his wife, Michelle, and their children Alex, Taylor, Samantha, and William. He is preceded in death by his parents, his son, Jordan, and his older brother, John William. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to Heifer International and/or the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark. A memorial service will be held at St. Edward's Catholic Church, 801 Sherman St., Little Rock, Ark. at 12 noon on Thursday, May 14. Attendees are invited to stay for lunch afterwards in the church hall to share their personal memories of Bob. Arrangements by Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.