Deacon ‘Bob’ retiring in Ardmore

After serving the parish for nearly 10 years, a long and winding path for Deacon Bob Highsmith and his family has resulted in his retirement from Saint Mary Catholic Church in Ardmore.

“Deacon Bob is a great man, very intelligent, and willing to share his knowledge with those who wish to learn about our faith,” said Deacon Juan Jimenez, who also serves at Saint Mary. “He is fun to work with. I will miss him very much.

“I know that he needs to spend time with his wife and family. I thank God for calling Deacon Bob to serve his Church.”

Deacon Highsmith and his wife Patricia were converts to Catholicism. During their conversion, they received support and prayers from their three children.

Deacon Highsmith was born in Pensacola, Florida, but landed in a variety of places as his dad was in the Air Force, requiring much family relocation. Before becoming a deacon, he worked as an attorney in Oklahoma, serving as a district attorney for eight years. He then worked in private practice, before becoming an associate district judge for 24 years.

His training as an attorney boosted his skill as a homilist. Father Kevin Ratterman, pastor of Saint Mary, said Deacon Highsmith’s unique ability to connect church history, biblical history and science made his homilies quite relevant.    

Deacon Highsmith credits his wife, Patty, for giving him much support on a journey to the Church together. 

“We converted to Catholicism after attending Mass in Tishomingo and Ardmore,” he said. “After attending for some time, I asked Patty and she said, ‘I think we are supposed to be here.’”

Once in the Church, Deacon Highsmith moved toward becoming a deacon.

“It has helped me to grow in my faith in my spiritual maturity,” he said. “I am a better man for it. My wife and I have shared this experience. If my service was of value, I hope by God’s grace, it helped the parish. It has certainly been a blessing for us.”

Said Father Ratterman, “Deacon Bob did a fantastic service during my six years as pastor at Saint Mary. He brought such a huge spectrum of knowledge, lifetime experience and wonderful understanding to our parish.  He was a tremendous asset. Deacon Bob brought that knowledge and skills to many outstanding and large RCIA classes over the years. We are going to miss his him.”  

Charles Albert is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.