William Robert "Bob" Ralston, who resided in Charleston, Arkansas, passed away Wednesday, September 19, 2018, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Bob was born May 6, 1930, in Fort Worth, Texas, the son of the late William Gibson Ralston and Noal (Duke) Ralston. He was 88 years old.  His mother died of leukemia when he was nine and his brother, Dale was eight.  Several years later his father married Norma Tuggle, whom the brothers cherished as their mother all their lives.  Bob married his wife Nancy Quinn in 1951.  He passed three days short of their 67th wedding anniversary on September 22nd.  Bob and Nancy moved to the West Texas oil fields where their son, Larry was born in Lubbock in 1952.  It soon became apparent that Bob needed further education in order to progress in the business world.  They moved back to Dallas where Bob began his college education and graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1961 with an accounting degree.  During that time his daughter, Amy was born in 1960.  They moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1964 and the following year to Charleston when Bob began working for John McConnell Construction Company.  They bought a farm at Vesta, although they knew nothing about raising cattle or farming. It was a learning experience in which they depended on the advice and help of many friends and neighbors.   During this period, Bob was offered and accepted a sales job with a tax book publisher and entered into a long and happy career from which he retired after 22 years.  He also served by appointment for one year as mayor of Charleston and served on the quorum court of Franklin County for one term.  He was active in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church as a lector, Eucharistic minister, member of the church choir and parish council when the Catholic school was closed and the parish hall was built.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents; his son, Larry; and brother, Dale.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy; his daughter, Amy and her husband, Derek Povah of Malibu, California; his sister-in-law, Norma Ralston; a daughter-in-law, Milinda Houlette;  two grandaughters and two great-grandchildren.

Visitation and a rosary service will be said at 6:00 p.m. Sunday, Sept 23rd, at Brotherton Funeral Home Chapel in Charleston.

Funeral Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday, September 24th, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Charleston. Burial will be at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Charleston, under the direction of Brotherton Brothers Funeral Home and Flower Shop in Charleston.

Pallbearers are Jim Frederick, David Bender, David Ralston, Brian Blackstock, Spencer Blackstock, and Mike Ramsey.

Honorary pallbearers are Jim Raible and Herman Verkamp.

To view the video tribute, please visit http://videos.lifetributes.com/922579

To pay an online tribute, please visit www.brothertonbrothersfuneralhomes.com.