Bobby Joe Manly passed away in the early hours of February 1, 2020 at Palo Verde Hospital in Blythe. He is survived by his daughter, Crystal (Joshua Coman), son Robert Hausman, granddaughter Alicia Vasquez and Great-Grandsons, Akiel Vasquez and Mason Hausman.

Bob was born in Harlingen, Texas in 1933 and moved to the Palo Verde Valley in 1935. The son of Gladys (Jones) and Delores (Dee) Manly, Bob is preceded in death by his wife Jeanene, sisters Shirley and Betty and both parents.

Over his lifetime, Bob held various jobs around the Valley. Bob worked at the manganese mine in Midland in the early 1950s. Shortly after his marriage to Jeanene in 1956, he worked a season harvesting fruit throughout California. After a season of picking, he went on to own two gas stations in Blythe along US Route 60 (Hobsonway) at a time when Route 60 was a thoroughfare. After getting out of the gas station business, Bob went on to work as a trucker hauling freight and cattle and later as an equipment operator at the Kaiser Steel mine at Eagle Mountain.

Bob was a cowboy at heart and could often be spotted wearing his signature white cowboy hat. Besides his love of country music and rodeo, Bob had three pleasures in life: Gambling, hunting and fishing.

As a gambler, his favorite game was poker and he was often a big winner at the game. His strategy was to always draw to a Royal Flush. It was a strategy that worked well for him.

As a hunter, Bob, spent many years hunting deer locally. Over the past 30 plus years, Bob became a big fan of bow hunting and hunted deer and elk around Northern and Eastern Arizona with his friends Howard Elms, Ben Heflin and Don Lewis. He often put in for, and was drawn for tags around Belmont and Springerville, Arizona. He was a member of the Blythe Bowmen Archery Club until several years ago when health issues forced him to give up his favorite past-time. There are legends that still circulate about a time he made what is said to be the world's best biscuits and elk gravy for the bow club members during an early morning meet.

As a fisherman, Bob often fished for catfish locally with friends Pickle Dill and Harland. Bob and his brother-in-law/best-friend Howard Elms spent much of their free time from the 1950's through the 1980's fishing the Gulf of California. Their obsession with the deep sea waters of Mexico came shortly after being introduced to the big fish of the Gulf by Bob's father Dee. Lured by those big fish, Bob and Howard fished the waters around the small coastal town of Puertocitas, where Bob also owned a house.

The family asks that anyone wishing to honor Bob's memory with memorial contributions, that they be made to the Blythe Bowmen Archery Club. The club's address is PO Box 446, Blythe, CA, 92226. Donations to the Blythe Bowmen Archery Club are tax deductible as it is a non-profit organization.

As per Bob's wishes, no formal services will be held.