Bobby Louis "Izzy" Isbell

Bobby Louis "Izzy" Isbell passed away at Arkansas Hospice, St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center on January 20, 2014 at the age of 79. Bob is predeceased by his beloved Mother, Mary Isbell Rogers, his father Robert C. Isbell, sister, Marian Rohrer, and step-grandson Marcus Murphy of Little Rock. Bob is survived by his loving wife of 21 years, Claudia, and his son, Robert Isbell (Heather) and is lovingly remembered by his stepdaughters Lee Martin and Mary Adkins (Jack), all of Little Rock; grandchildren Chelsea Isbell of Little Rock; step grand-children Brian Martin (Natalie) of Manhattan, Kansas, Blake Martin and Haley Martin both of Little Rock, Spencer Adkins of Little Rock, and Caroline Adkins Williams (James) of Manhattan, Kansas. Bob also leaves behind his brother, John Ernest Isbell (Edna) of Rickman, Tennessee, his sisters Lucy Toal of Northbrook, Illinois, Margaret Fernandez (New York) and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. The family wishes to express their profound gratitude to the many friends and loved ones who visited Bob and provided comfort during his final days, especially his dear and steadfast friends and neighbors. The devoted and loving care that Bob received from Dr. Stephen Shafizadeh will be warmly remembered and forever appreciated by his family. The family also wishes to thank the nurses and staff of St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center MICU and deeply appreciates the wonderful care of Bob's physician and nurses at Arkansas Hospice. Bobby Louis Isbell was born in Oak Prairie (Prairie County), Arkansas in 1934. He attended Hazen High School and remained close friends with many of his classmates throughout the years. He enlisted in the United States Air Force in1952, where he served twenty years, billeted early in his career in post-WWII France. Always a man to make the best of what life offered, he traveled widely in France by motorcycle during leave periods, absorbing French culture. Later stations included Casablanca, Morocco, Terceira, Azores and Nellis AFB Las Vegas, Nevada. Upon leaving the Armed Forces, Bob pursued a food service career, developing several successful restaurants in the Central Arkansas area from Jacksonville to Little Rock. Having accumulated many years of experience as a restaurant entrepreneur, he took a risk in 1985 and opened "Izzy's" on Highway 10 in what was then the "hinterlands" of West Little Rock. There he created the recipes that made Izzy's a favorite dining destination, including his "world's best" tamales. He always enjoyed meeting and greeting old and new friends who dined at Izzy's. Bob was intrigued by new acquaintances, and was known to enjoy listening to the life stories of his patrons and friends. He retired from Izzy's in 2006. A man of the South, Bob thoroughly enjoyed life on the Arkansas River, where he built the beloved home that he and Claudia tended with great care throughout their married years. There he enjoyed boating, fishing, swimming, and attending to the details of home and garden. An accomplished skier, he relished his semi-annual skiing expeditions with family and friends to the mountains of Colorado. Having nurtured an interest in poker that began during his early military career, Bob always enjoyed a game with skilled players. His loved to spend time with his group of poker friends, who, incidentally, shared his love of snow skiing, Bob's infectious enthusiasm led to Claudia's introduction to skiing, which "snowballed" into annual trips to the Colorado mountains where they would celebrate her birthday each February. Bob held close to his heart many canine friends that he nurtured through the years. He will be especially missed by his beloved Labrador, Ski, who provided many happy hours of loving companionship following Bob's retirement from Izzy's in 2006. Bob will be remembered by his family and friends for his easy manner, his generous heart, his concern for younger members of his family, and the often lengthy stories that he shared in his slow, southern cadence. He will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved him. A memorial gathering will be held from 2-4 p.m. Friday, January 24 at Ruebel Funeral Home in Little Rock, Arkansas. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Ksn. 66675, or online at https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org or to the charity of your choice. Condolences for the family may be offered online at http://www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.