Robert Joseph Hickman

Robert (Bob) Joseph Hickman passed away October 23, 2016 at Worthington Nursing & Rehabilitation. He was born in Parkersburg, WV on June 20, 1923, the eldest son of Harry & Christina Feick Hickman. He graduated from PHS in 1941.After school, he carried newspapers and worked at various local theatres.He played second base for Big Reds Baseball, American Legion and City Park Twilight League. The day following Pearl Harbor in 1941, he was employed as Office Boy for Parkersburg News & Sentinel.He was later promoted to Advertising Manager of Fairmont Times and retired as Parkersburg’s General Manager in 1990. Bob’s newspaper career was on hold while he served in the US Army from 1943 to 1946 being stationed in California, Aleutian Islands, Mississippi, Maryland, Michigan and the Pentagon.Uncle Sam drafted him shortly after a Pittsburgh Pirates agent saw him play and asked him to try out for their team. Bob was a creative cartoonist and ad writer applying these gifts in the Military Intelligence Core (Los Angeles/Aleutian Islands) and later in his career at the Parkersburg News & Sentinel where he helped many customers. He was a personal friend of Senators Joseph Albright and Robert C. Byrd, as well as Congressman Ken Hechler and Robert Mollohan. He married Jeanette Pryor in 1943 in San Pedro, CA.Bob is survived by two daughters, Sandra (Roger) Pettit of Little Hocking, OH and Christine Lowe of Vienna; three grandchildren Angela Sams, Jenny Baker, R. J. Lowe; six great-grandchildren, Shenae Mulligan, ChaseSams, Lyndsay Baker, Seth Kellison, Luke Kellison, Zander Kellison and three great-great-grandchildren,Cade Mulligan, Caysen Mulligan, and Jaylee Mulligan. Bob was a member of American Legion Post #15 and Parkersburg Lyons Club and a former member of the Elks Club, the Parkersburg Municipal Parking Commission for eighteen years, Chamber of Commerce, Jaycees, Master of Ceremonies for Bank Night/Drawings at local theatres.He served on the Board of Directors for Red Cross, Downtown Retailers and Park Shopping Center. Bob as instrumental in starting the Parkersburg Homecoming event.He was a member and served as Elder of Beechwood Presbyterian Church.In later years, Bob and his wife enjoyed working auctions. Bob was passionate about his two hobbies, old movies and baseball, watching both as often as he could.He loved to tease, had a quick wit, a heart of gold and never met a stranger.Bob would want to be remembered as very generous to both friends and strangers.He liked his cars clean, his TV sets large and prime rib done. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Jeanette, son-in-law, Charles Lowe, Jr, and his only sibling, his brother, Lyndon Hickman. Friends and Family are invited to attend the funeral service on Wednesday, October 26, 2016 at 2 p.m. at Kimes Funeral Home, 521 5th St., Parkersburg with Mr. David Whipkey officiating.Burial will follow at Parkersburg Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be on Tuesday, October 25, 2016 from 5 pm to 7 pm at the funeral home and one hour prior to the funeral on October 26, 2016 from 1 pm until 2 pm.