Robert Henry Wisener III

Dr. Robert "Bob" Henry Wisener, III
1944-2024
Services for Dr. Wisener will be held at the Royal Flying Circus Aviation Museum at Mineola Wisener Field Airport in Mineola on Monday December 9 with visitation from 1-2 p.m., service at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor Donnie Herring officiating. Burial will follow in Sand Springs Cemetery near Mineola under the direction of Beaty Funeral Home.
Dr. Bob earned his eternal wings and flew west Saturday night November 30th at Tyler ContinueCare Hospital.
Born September 6, 1944 in El Paso, TX to Robert "Henry" Wisener, Jr. and Oneta Buna Irvin he spent the first ten years of his life in El Paso. Since his father was a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector the family moved frequently. The next few years he spent in Amarillo, TX. His dad was a pioneer barnstormer pilot and he took Bob flying from the time he was a baby. When Bob turned 14 his dad sent him to learn to fly gliders and he earned his glider pilot's license. At 16 his dad taught him to fly in a Cessna 150 and Bob soloed in July 1961 in Pampa, TX. Bob wanted to learn to fly a Piper J-3 Cub so his dad taught him to fly one. He soloed Bob in the Cub in Abernathy, TX and afterwards told him, "You happy now?" Bob went on to earn both his commercial and flight instructor ratings. He was an active member of the Tyler Quiet Birdmen (QBs) Hangar and a Lifetime member of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) whose focus is promoting aviation and introducing kids to aviation through the Young Eagles Program.
After he graduated from Amarillo High School he attended Texas Tech University. While a student at the university he taught flying in a J-3 Cub. Bob earned his bachelor's and his master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Texas Tech. Bob went on to earn a doctorate in Child Psychology from Northern Colorado University. After he graduated he became a Licensed Psychologist. He consulted at the Texas State Hospital in Harlingen for many years. In 1970 he began teaching at Pan American College which became Pan American College then UT-Pan American University and is now UT-RGV. In 1973 Bob published the first research paper for the university on a study of the effectiveness of methadone in treating addiction. Bob taught for 42 years and co-chaired the committee which established the Clinical Psychology Master's Degree program. He enjoyed teaching and mentored many students in the field of Clinical Psychology. In addition he had a private practice in McAllen providing psychotherapy, psychological evaluations and psychological testing. After Bob retired from the university he and his wife moved to Mineola to manage the historic Mineola Wisener Field Airport (est. July 4, 1917) which he inherited from his father and to operate the Royal Flying Circus Aviation Museum which he established in 2000. Bob spent countless hours assembling exhibits, scanning historical aviation photographs and cataloging aviation artifacts for the museum. He also had an avid interest in MG cars and amassed a small collection.
Bob is survived by his wife Lupita, his son Robert H. Wisener, IV, his cousins Cynthia (Vic), Nick and Anthony Savelli, Price (Mary Ann) and Cliff Moore, Travis Allen and Phillip Chase (Maya) Bobbitt.
He is preceded in death by his daughter Ann and both of his parents.
In lieu of Flowers donations can be made to the Royal Flying Circus Aviation Museum, Box 65, Mineola, TX 75773. Click here to view live stream