Robert “Bob” H. Stephens of Lexington, AL, passed away on October 25, 2026, at the age of 79. He is profoundly missed by his family; daughters: Dawn Keller (Bryant) and Christie Fadell (Shawn); grandchildren: Summer Scott (Sam), Jake Tucker (Jessica), Meghan Scott, and Jackson Tucker; and great-grandchildren: Cooper and Riley Tucker. He has gone to be with his beloved wife of 50 years, Karen Stephens; parents George and Mary Stephens and Irene Felter; sister: Ardath “Artie” Stephens; and sister- and brother-in-law: Barbara and Lee Riley.
Bob was born on January 18, 1947, in Kew Gardens, New York and raised in Pacific Palisades, California. Three months after graduating from Palisades High School he joined the US Navy on December 14, 1964. He was a 17-year-old volunteer who was eager to serve our country in Vietnam. After training in San Diego and Port Hueneme, CA, he was assigned as a steelworker to the US Seventh Fleet, Mobile Construction Battalion 9 (MCB-9), a distinguished unit known as the “Fighting Ninth,” and deployed to the jungle near Da Nang, Vietnam, on June 3, 1965. There, he served two tours of duty as a Navy Seabee, building mountain roads, Marine Corps tent cantonments, and a 500-bed hospital. On October 28, 1965, his battalion suffered 90 casualties fighting off a Viet Cong suicide attack, marking the first major enemy action directed against an entire Seabee battalion in the Vietnam war. Bob carried shrapnel in his back from that battle for the rest of his life. After leaving Vietnam, he was transferred to active reserve, where, as a Sharpshooter, he trained new recruits in marksmanship until his honorable discharge in December, 1970. Bob was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal (two campaigns) with Fleet Marine Force Combat Insignia, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Two weeks after returning from the war, Bob met and fell in love with Karen Sue Marshall while “dragging the strip” in Ventura, California. They wed on June 17, 1967, and had two daughters, Dawn Marie and Christie Robbin. Bob, Karen, and their children relocated to Rogersville, Alabama, where Bob became a successful independent owner/operator, hauling oversized military freight for Inway (later Landstar) between military installations across the USA. He very much enjoyed traveling with his wife (especially by cruise ship), restoring classic cars, and building and collecting radio-controlled helicopters and drones in his free time. Bob won several awards showing his classic cars in and around the Shoals area.
The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to Hospice Family Care of Huntsville for their genuine care and compassion in Bob’s final days.
A graveside service will be held at Civitan Cemetery in Rogersville, AL, on Sunday, November 15, 2026, at 2:00 PM, followed by a private memorial service hosted by the family.
