Bobbie Lou Roark

In loving memory of Bobbie Lou (Connelly) Roark, 93, of Rockwall, TX who passed away peacefully on May 26, 2024. She was a beacon of kindness, always putting others ahead of herself. Her love for animals, the cooking channel, crossword puzzles, mexican food, and an occasional margarita, will forever remain in our hearts!
 
Bobbie was the daughter of Charles Wesley Connelly and Ruby E. Stallings. She was born and grew up in Albany, Oklahoma with two older brothers Max and Charles Connelly. Bobbie would thoroughly entertain us by sharing her experiences while growing up in depression-era rural Oklahoma. They had no water, no heat, and no electricity in the house! Carrying water, chopping wood, and hunting a rabbit for the next meal was a daily chore and way of life. It wasn’t until she had graduated high-school did they finally get a party-line phone in her house. Bobbie would often remind us that she would have to gather and sell eggs to earn 10 cents, so she could buy a ticket to attend a high-school basketball game. Bobbie eventually left home shortly after graduating high school and moved to Dallas, where in 1950, she landed a job with Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. Her career took her to Houston where she was promoted and became the first female outside plant Area Manager! She worked at Southwestern Bell until her retirement in 1986 (36 years).

She is survived by her son Michael Tonick and his wife Janet; grandson Grant Tonick and his wife Rachel; granddaughter Amy Miller and her husband Tim; great-granddaughters Ava Tonick; Ella Miller; Emme Miller; and Evie Miller; and great-grandsons Nolan Tonick and Timothy Ryan Miller.
 
A graveside service will be held at 1PM on Friday Jun 7, at Little Bethel Cemetery in Duncanville, TX. In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor may be made to Oak Hill Animal Rescue - www.ohar.org