Daniel Joe Nobra Sr.

Daniel Joe Nobra was born in Bremond, TX on July 11, 1935. He was one of three children born to Joseph Paul and Verna Marie Nobra.

He attended Bremond High School, graduating class of 1954. Upon graduation he enlisted in the United States Army, serving in Korea as a Radar Tech in the Signal Corps. In 1957, Daniel returned home upon receiving an honorable discharge.

He enrolled in the University of Houston, majoring in Industrial Electronics while working at Central Freight Lines on the night shift.  During his time at the U of H, he attended a recruiting event and was offered a position with the Federal Aviation Agency in 1960, where he worked for five years before accepting a position with IBM.  After ten years and going to night school, Daniel finally graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and celebrated with a party at home in the garage enjoying his favorite treat, German sausage from Shelby, Texas.

Throughout this time, Daniel was a dedicated employee with IBM, working in their Federal Systems Division at NASA. His work included working in mission control at the Johnson Space Center on several APOLLO projects during the space race. He spent twenty-six years with IBM, retiring in 1990.

While working at Central Freight Lines, one fateful Sunday afternoon, he was at the Princess Drive-In in Houston, Texas, where he would first meet Phyllis C. Foster. She was on her way to the Houston Zoo with a girlfriend, but just so happened to have stopped in for a quick bite.

He and Phyllis exchanged vows on July 2, 1960 at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church and then honeymooned in Corpus Christi. Together they enjoyed dancing at the local K of C Hall near their home in Pasadena, Texas and traveling, which they shared together as a family upon the birth of their children. They often hit the road in their pickup with the modified camper top and a tent, where they made memories camping at places such as the Sequoia National Forest, Yellowstone, Knotts Berry Farm, and Disney.  Daniel was dedicated to his family and there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for them, unless it was confronting the bear raiding their ice chest!  As the family grew, they upgraded to a travel trailer and took many family trips where they enjoyed camping in various state and national parks around the United States. 

Daniel was also an international traveler, enjoying trips with close friends and family to over ninety-nine countries and islands.  One of his most memorable trips was to Poland and Austria to visit the lands of his ancestors. 

Daniel also enjoyed taking cruises, but only after Phyllis coaxed him onto the first ship, convincing him it would be nothing like the ship on which he returned home from Korea. He enjoyed them so much, together he and Phyllis took a total of eighty-three cruises to various destinations, but don’t let that fool you, he was also there for the food and especially the desserts!

Embracing his heritage, JaJa, the Polish term for grandfather, is the title he accepted upon the birth of his grandchildren. Daniel was ever present in their lives, attending their many sports events, dance recitals, trips to the farm in the country, and having them accompany him to watch his beloved Bremond Tigers.

In his later years, he enjoyed watching the world go by where you would often find him sitting on the porch enjoying the sun, fresh air, wildlife and phone calls with friends and family.  He took pride in his yard work, keeping it pristine, but the real joy of it all was building a fire and burning those pesky fallen branches and leaves!

He was welcomed into Heaven on November 8, 2022 and greeted by his beloved parents, and a brother, Edward Nobra.

Those left to cherish his memory; his wife of sixty-two years, Phyllis Corrine Nobra; two daughters, Cindy (Shane) Jones and Tracy Nobra; a son Daniel Nobra Jr. (Allison); a sister, Bernice Pierson; grandchildren, Jennifer, Tyler, Caleb (Alexandria), and Chance; great grandchildren, Sopeherah, Kiara, and Kaiden; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A Service of Remembrance will be held at 2 PM on November 17th 2022 at the Chapel at Lindsay Lakes, 16536 Mueschke Road, Cypress, Texas. He will be laid to rest during a private ceremony at Houston National Cemetery.

The family invites you to make a donation in his memory to any Veteran nonprofit organization.