Permanent Memorialization

We wouldn't be here if not for them.

On a personal note...

On a personal note...

Delbert is my granddad and Patrick is my dad. I felt it was important to tell their story in a unique way on our website. If not for them, I'm not sure I'd be where I'm at as a funeral director and funeral home owner... I'm not sure I would be involved in the funeral profession at all in fact. They are my heroes and my mentors. And that influence is so important to me, as I truly love serving the families we do, and helping them through the most difficult times in their lives. I cannot think of a profession that would be any more rewarding or fulfilling for anyone.

The impact they had on my life cannot be expressed in words. And I feel the same way about the impact they had on our community as well. They were both very active in the community and truly treated everyone like they were part of our family.

I encourage you to do two things:

1 ) Read through their brief history below, I think you'll find it interesting.

2) Visit their tributes on our website. And if you have a story, a photo, a memory... or just feel compelled to light a candle in memory of them. It would mean a lot to me, my family, and everyone that knew them. 

Thank you for visiting this tribute page.

Chuck Robertson

How it began

My great grandad, "Papaw" Andy Robertson did cemetery setups for funerals at Citizens Cemetery in Clarendon during the 1940's.  My grandad "Pawpaw" Delbert worked alongside my Papaw Andy growing up and sparked a huge interest about being a funeral director.  Mr. J.W. Murphy who owned the funeral home then asked my Pawpaw Delbert about coming to work.  He begin his career working for Mr. Murphy while in High School in Clarendon.  His job consisted of sitting up with the bodies at night (an old tradition), driving the ambulance for Mr. Murphy, as well as helping around the funeral home. After graduating Clarendon High School, Pawpaw Delbert took a train to Houston and started Mortuary School at Landig College now known as Commonwealth. Pawpaw Delbert graduated from Landig in 1953. He then volunteered for the US Army near the end of the Korean War and was stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso. In August 1953, he married my "Mamaw" Patsy.  He returned home to Clarendon in 1956 was a funeral director for Murphy Funeral Home for almost 10 years before obtaining a job with Blackburn-Shaw Funeral Directors in Amarillo in the mid 1960's. Delbert then came back home and worked again for Murphy Funeral Home. In 1970's, my Dad, Patrick was in High School.  During that time a horrific tornado occured in Donley County and killed 19 people.  My Pawpaw Delbert called in my Dad Patrick to help and after assisting him during that disaster, he realized he was called into our profession. Fast forward to May 1973, my Dad, Patrick graduated High School and enrolled at Clarendon College to obtain his basics before moving to Dallas to go to Dallas Institute of Funeral Service.  Pawpaw Delbert opened Clarendon Funeral Home in October 1973 which was located at 3rd & Jefferson (One block behind our current location). 

In December 1973, Pawpaw Delbert along with Maurice Schooler and Mack Gordon, funeral directors from Amarillo, purchased the Murphy family interests and facility. Murphy Funeral Home and Clarendon Funeral Home ownerships combined and the name was changed to Schooler-Gordon-Robertson Funeral Directors.  In 1975, my Dad, Patrick graduated from Dallas and moved back home to join the firm.  In January 1977, after Patrick completed his apprenticeship and became licensed, Pawpaw Delbert and  Dad bought out Schooler-Gordon and the named changed to Robertson Funeral Directors. For countless years our funeral home ran the Ambulance Service in Clarendon and Donley County.  Dad was one of the first paramedics in the Texas Panhandle.  In the late 1980's early 90's Pawpaw and Dad turned it over to the Ambulance Service in Donley County which now is Associated Ambulance Authority in Clarendon.  Note all that time, my Pawpaw Delbert and Mamaw Patsy lived in the funeral home in Clarendon.  They answered every death call, ambulance call, and fire department call out of the funeral home until Donley County went with a paging system for Fire Department and EMS.  They lived there until 2006 when they finally moved to a lovely home in Clarendon.   After I graduated High School in 2003 I enrolled into Clarendon College as well as Amarillo College to start a career in TV/Radio.  In October 2003, after visiting with one of my best friends, Cameron Word, he showed me that the funeral profession was my calling. I changed my major from TV/Radio and I enrolled into mortuary school at Amarillo College and I joined the firm.  That is how it began for all of us.. 

-Chuck Robertson

Delbert Robertson

Delbert Robertson

1934 - 2017

Delbert was born June 17, 1934 in Clarendon to George Andrew “Andy” and Sallie Elizabeth Robertson. Delbert is a native of Clarendon and a 1952 graduate of Clarendon High School. Delbert is also a 1953 graduate of Landig College of Mortuary Science in Houston. He then volunteered for the US Army near the end of the Korean War and was stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso. In August 1953, he married Patsy Darlene Wallace in Clarendon.  He was a licensed funeral director & embalmer in Texas since 1957 and was awarded as a 60 year licensee at the Texas Funeral Directors Association convention June 2016.Delbert was a lifetime member of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Dept. and served as the Fire Chief of the Department for 32 years from 1980 until 2012 when he retired from that position & has been a lifetime member since 1953. He also was a certified firefighter through State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas. Delbert served more years as a regent than any other board member for Clarendon College, and was the longest continuous member of the Clarendon College board of regents. He was a member of the very first independent board of regents and was a board member when the new Clarendon College campus was built and opened in 1968. He had served in various board offices and served under many of the college presidents. He was also a member of the Clarendon Lions Club where he has served in many offices including past president. He was a member of the Donley County Hospital District board when the new hospital was built in 1971 and held various offices on that board as well. He was also a member of American Legion Adamson-Lane Post 287 Hedley Chapter & was a 50 year member of the Clarendon Masonic Lodge #700, AF & AM. Delbert was awarded funeral director of the year 3 times by the Panhandle Funeral Directors Association for the years 1979, 1985-1986, & 2004-2005. He also was awarded the Panhandle Firemen's & Fire Marshals' Association Firefighter of the Year in 2008. The Clarendon Chamber of Commerce bestowed their highest honor, The Saints Roost Award, on him in 1984 and again in 2001. In August 2009, he married Naomi Lowe in Red River and they made their home in Clarendon and Shamrock. He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Patsy on June 7, 2008; his son, Patrick on December 22, 2014; his step daughter, Linda Allison in 2015; 2 sisters, Maxine Howe and Georgia Speed; a brother, Glenn Robertson; a daughter in law, Edie Robertson.Survivors include his wife, Naomi Lowe of Shamrock; a daughter, Debbie Thompson and husband Michael of Clarendon; 3 grandchildren, Greg Collins and wife Jennifer of Bushland, Tiffanie Word of Clarendon, and Chuck Robertson and wife Amanda of Clarendon; 7 great grandchildren, Abi & Maci Collins, Tristan Black, Gavin & Aiden Word, Jaxon Robertson, and Keighen Crump; his sister, Margaret Vines of Wellington; a daughter in law, Vicky Robertson of Clarendon; 3 step sons, Gary Lowe and Dennis Lowe both of Shamrock, and Boe Lowe and wife Sue of Lumberton; a step daughter, Glenda Harvey and husband Mike of Jonestown; a step son in law, Con Allison of Shamrock; his adopted grandsons, Cameron Word and Brayden Phillips; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and step grandchildren and step great grandchildren.

Delbert entered into Heaven on January 26, 2017.

Patrick Robertson

Patrick Robertson

1955 - 2014

Patrick was born March 10, 1955 in Groom, Tx to Delbert Wayne and Patsy Darlene Robertson. He graduated from Clarendon High School in 1973. He attended the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science, graduating in 1975. Patrick married Edith Faye Black of Wellington, Tx on September 27, 1975. She preceded him in death in 1987. On May 4, 1991, he and Vicky Annette Hawkins were united in marriage in Clarendon, Tx. He was co-owner of Robertson Funeral Directors in Clarendon and co-owner of KEFH 99.3 FM radio station. Patrick was a lifetime member of the Clarendon Volunteer Fire Department serving from 1975 to 2009. He was a graduate of the first paramedic class in the Texas Panhandle and one of the first paramedics to serve Donley County. He served with the Clarendon EMS from 1973-1992. He later became a member of the Howardwick Volunteer Fire Department. He loved classic cars and was a member of the High Plains Cruisers of Pampa. He was a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for 25 years. He received his Eagle Scout from Troop 433 of Clarendon in 1972. He was awarded funeral director of the year by Panhandle Funeral Directors Association for the year 2011-2012. He was appointed to the Texas Funeral Service Commission by Governor Rick Perry in 2011 and served until 2014. He was a devoted member of the First Baptist Church of Howardwick. He was preceded in death by his mother, Patsy Wallace Robertson in 2008. Survivors include his wife, Vicky Hawkins Robertson of Clarendon; a son from his first marriage Charles Wayne (Chuck) Robertson of Clarendon, Tx; his father Delbert Robertson and step-mother Naomi of Clarendon, Tx; a grandson Jaxon Robertson of Clarendon, Tx; a sister Debbie Thompson and husband Michael of Clarendon, Tx; 2 step-sisters Linda Allison and husband Con of Shamrock, Tx and Glenda Harvey and husband Mike of Austin, Tx; 3 step-brothers Gary Lowe and Dennis Lowe, both of Shamrock, and Boe Lowe and wife Sue of Lumberton, Tx.; mother-in-law Wanda Beddingfield of Clarendon, Tx; sister-in-law Sonya Hawkins Shieldknight of Spearman, Tx; brothers-in-law Sam Hawkins III and wife Lisa of Scott, La, Doug Hayton and wife Kathy of Claude, Tx and Shane Beddingfield of Fayetteville, North Carolina; a brother-in-law from his first marriage Charles Black and wife Patsy of Dumas, Tx; an aunt Margaret Vines of Wellington, Tx; many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, cousins and a host of friends. 

Patrick entered Heaven on December 22, 2014.