BENTONVILLE — Bobby Joe Willis,

91, son of Cecil George Willis & Manota Lillian (Martin) Willis, was born on September 25, 1930, in Beckham County, Okla. He passed away on Friday, November 12, 2021.

Bobby grew up near Sayre, Okla., where at a young age he chopped and picked cotton with his family. He attended Sayre High School, where he was a member of Future Farmers of America. After graduating in 1949, he went on to study at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, the first of his family to attend college. He graduated in 1953 from OSU with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Husbandry. He took a position at Safeway in Texas, where he worked for 30 years. He lived in Amarillo for most of his adult life.

In 2003, after the passing of his mother, Bobby moved to Highfill, Ark., to be near his brother, Phillip, and his sister-in-law, Retha, where he lived until entering Bradford House last year. He was a devoted son, a horse enthusiast, an avid collector of Western memorabilia, and a gentle, humorous, beloved member of the Willis family. He will be deeply missed.

He is survived by his brother, Philip; his nephews, Kory and Kevin; his grand-nieces, Chelsea Cantwell Walker (daughter of Kim Willis Cantwell, deceased) and Rose Willis (daughter of Kory and Katie Conrad Willis); and his great-grand-nieces, Hannah and Emma Walker (daughters of Chelsea and Justin Walker).

A memorial service will be held at Nelson-Berna Funeral Home of Rogers, Ark., 2898 West Walnut, Rogers, Ark. 72756, 479-631-1353, on Wednesday, November 17 at 11 a.m. A ceremony will also be held at the graveside at Sayre-Doxey Cemetery in Sayre, Okla., on Thursday at 1 p.m. Flowers may be sent to the funeral home.

Donations may also be made in his name to the American Cancer Society.

To sign the online guestbook, please visit www.bernafuneralhomes.com