Robert "Bobby" Whiteside

Robert “Bobby” Whiteside died peacefully at home in his sleep on December 21, 2019, after a year and a half battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m., on January 6, 2020, at Arborlawn United Methodist Church. The burial will be at a later date at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery.

Bobby was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on October 31, 1947. His family moved to Fort Worth when he was in middle school, and Bobby graduated from Arlington Heights High School in 1965. After attending Weatherford College and serving in the Marine Corp, he became a Fort Worth police officer in October, 1969 and retired from the city with 30 years of service. As a police officer he served as a detective and an undercover officer, and in 1982, he accepted the opportunity to work as a school liaison officer with the Fort Worth Independent School District. He remained in that job for 15 years working with district staff to implement programs to heighten the safety and security of children in FWISD. After retiring from the police department in January of 1998, he joined the school district where he worked for ten years. During that time, he helped to establish the Office of Special Investigations with procedures and policies that are still being followed today. He retired in 2007 from the school district.

Bobby and his wife, Nita, were married for 34 years. He was a loving, caring man that always put others before himself. He loved his family and his enormous circle of friends, and they loved him back.

In addition to his wife, Nita, he is survived by Joe Whiteside (Terri), Natalie Lyon, and Lee Scarborough (Kathy). Grandchildren include Zane and Addie Whiteside, Carter and Zachary Lyon, and Matthew, Emily, and Andrew Scarborough. Also left to cherish his memory is a large, extended family and many friends.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in his memory to the Gary Sinise Foundation (garysinisefoundation.org) serving our nation by honoring our defenders, veterans, first responders, and their families.