Deacon Robert (Buzz) Standridge
Deacon Robert “Buzz” Standridge is our Parish Administrator. He was born in Oakland, California, in 1952, the oldest of four children. His Mother was a full-time homemaker. His father was a career Navy man. The family moved frequently up and down the West coast from the State of Washington to San Diego, California. Deacon Buzz attended seven different grade schools and three high schools. By the time he reached his senior year in high school, his family was living in Sasebo, Japan. He graduated in the top ten of his graduating class from a Department of Defense high school, but he honestly admits that there were only twelve graduates in his class.
Deacon Buzz graduated from Lamar University in Beaumont in 1976 with a degree in marine technology. He was hired by Dow Chemical as a research technologist and worked for Dow for ten years. In 1987, he and four other men started Laplace Technologies in Friendswood. The company specialized in configuring computer software that is used to automate the process of manufacturing chemicals, especially plastics.
In 1974 Buzz married his wife, Marsha, who is an RN. They have two grown and married children, Kimberly and Daryl. Marsha works for the State of Texas as a case manager at the prison at UTMB. Their daughter, Kim, and her husband, Joey, (whose marriage I witnessed) have two daughters. Daryl was married in Mobile, Alabama, about a year ago.
Deacon Buzz began his studies to become a Permanent Deacon in 2002. Marsha studied with him, and they both received an M.A. in Pastoral Studies in 2006. He was ordained a Deacon on February 3, 2007, and was assigned to St. Patrick Parish. He and his fellow owners sold Laplace at the end of 2006 to a company in St. Louis. In June of 2007 he replaced Bob Fullen as Parish Administrator of St. Patrick, a role he now plays in Holy Family Parish.
An interesting fact about Buzz and his family is that the four of them sailed from Freeport, Texas, to Washington, DC, in a 39-foot sailboat from June to Christmas, 1986. I suspect that after six months at sea, Deacon Buzz and Marsha can deal with any of the little tempests that surface in a marriage. Two of the greatest blessings he has experienced as a Deacon is baptizing his granddaughter, Kira, soon after he was ordained and witnessing the marriage of his son, Daryl, to his bride, Stacy, in May of 2009. All who have dealt with Deacon Buzz know that he is a warm-hearted and generous person who is dedicated to serving the Catholic Church.
Written by Fr. John Bok