Robert Frank "Bob" Cespiva

1925 - 2019

Robert Frank "Bob" Cespiva

Pineville - Funeral Services for Robert Frank ""Bob"" Cespiva will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, August 29, 2019, at Trinity Baptist Church in Pineville, LA, with Pastor Darryl Hoychick presiding. A military interment ceremony will follow at Forest Lawn in Ball, LA.
Visitation will be observed at Hixson Brothers Funeral Home in Pineville on Wednesday, August 28, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm and on Thursday, August 29, from 10:00 am to the time of service at the church.
Robert Frank Cespiva went home to meet the Lord on August 25, 2019. He was born on December 6, 1925, in Kolin, Louisiana. He graduated from Bolton High School in 1942 and then joined the US Navy proudly serving from 1942 to 1945 during World War II. During his military service, he participated in seven Pacific invasions, including the invasion of Okinawa and the Philippines. Bob was awarded the Bronze Star for heroism by President Harry Truman after saving the life of a downed pilot during the invasion of Saipan.
After leaving military service, he enrolled at Louisiana College where he received his B.A. He subsequently received his Masters plus 30 from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He taught school at Oakdale and Buckeye. He then served as assistant principal and coach at Pineville Elementary, followed by a long tenure as assistant principal at Pineville High School. In 1984, he retired as the first principal at J. I. Barron Elementary and with an accumulated forty-one years in the education field. During this period, he served on the Central Louisiana Football Association.
Other areas of service include 16 years as an elected member of the Pineville City Council during the Mayoral administrations of Floyd Smith, George Huffman and Fred Baden; President of the Pineville Lion's Club; President of the Rapides Parish Teachers Association; Vice Chairman of the Rapides Democratic Executive Committee for 28 years; A member of the Rapides Parish Workforce Investment Board for 40 years; and a member of the American Legion and VFW. At the time of his death, he was a member of the Czech Heritage Society and member of Trinity Baptist Church in Pineville. He was proud of his birthplace, Kolin, and proud of his Czech ancestry. He faithfully attended the annual Czech Heritage Festival at the Kolin Hall.
For years he enjoyed quail and squirrel hunting and playing baseball on the Oakdale Oaks for the Unique Cleaners teams. He was always a fixture at the ballfields where his greatest pleasure was watching his children and then his grandchildren participate in football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. Bob never met a stranger, and would talk for hours with anyone who would listen while enjoying his children and grandchildren play sports. He proudly served his Country and community all of his adult life.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Josephine Cespiva; first wife and mother of his three children, Eva Loyce Cespiva; brothers Richard, Edward and James Cespiva; sisters Anne Tauber, Francis Normand and Josephine Morrow; son Robert David ""Bud"" Cespiva and daughter, Janice Roden. He is survived by his son Brian D. Cespiva and daughter-in-law Cindy Cespiva; wife Lynn Cespiva; grandsons Brian Cespiva II and Brandon Cespiva; granddaughter Jessie Roden; stepdaughters Kimberly Deen Heikkinen and Pamela Blair Kopczynski; step grandchildren Jason and Landon Terrell and Gracelynn Shockley; special nieces Jonilee Rankin, Linda Elsing, Rachel Lofton and nephews Wayne Cespiva and Johnny Normand, as well as many other relatives and close friends.
Pallbearers honored to serve are Jason Terrell, Landon Terrell, Ted ""Bud"" Rankin, James Lofton, Garrett Lofton, and Bob Kopczynski.
Honorary Pallbearers are W.L. Trisler, Bobby Rucker, Phillip Terrell, Mike Johnson, Nathan Martin, and David Bates.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bob's name to the ministry of your choice.