ANGLETON — Robert Gladney was a Texas legend who was just as comfortable in the spotlight as he was on the tailgate of a pickup watching the sun go down, friends said at his passing Thursday.
Gladney, 79, died at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday at a hospital in Bellaire.
Gladney was elected Brazoria County sheriff in 1964 and served 16 years. His law enforcement career also included work at the Freeport Police Department and a stint as Clute police chief. He also served in Korea. He and his wife, Joanne, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2007 and had one daughter, Suzi Gladney-O’Neill of Angleton.
Gladney will be remembered for his larger-than-life role as sheriff, but childhood friend and retired Jones Creek Marshal Bubba Rape remembers a different man.
“He was an awful good guy,” Rape said. “He had a big heart, but he didn’t want you to know that.”
Rape and Gladney worked together “in the early days” at the sheriff’s office.
“I knew him when we were growing up,” Rape said. “He was a little older than me. He went on to become sheriff, and he was an awful good sheriff. It’s a sad day.”
Richwood Police Chief Glenn Patton went to work for Gladney as a deputy in 1972. He said Gladney was a large man and could be no-nonsense when needed. Patton also said his former boss and friend was fair.
“You couldn’t find a better man anywhere,” Patton said. “He was a true lawman and I always admired him. It was a privilege and an honor to go to work for him and the citizens of Brazoria County.”
Gladney let Patton know just how seriously he took law enforcement the day Patton was hired at the county.
“When he gave me the badge, he held onto it for a minute and looked at me,” Patton said. “He said, ‘Don’t take this badge unless you’re willing to die for what it stands for.’ I’ve always remembered that, and he was one of those people who believed it.”
Gladney also was a rancher and retired to his land north of Angleton. Patton said he and Gladney spent hours working outdoors, and both enjoyed working with tractors.
“The best times were when we’d finish mowing in the evening and pull down the tailgate of the pickup and visit late into the evening,” Patton said. “That will always be special to me. The State of Texas and Brazoria County have lost a true Texas hero. They just don’t make them like him anymore.”
Gladney drew national attention on July 13, 1972, when a pair of hijackers forced the pilot of a Boeing 727 to land at the Brazoria County Airport. Instead of negotiating with the hijackers, Gladney figured that once the plane ran out of fuel and air conditioners inside stopped working, the Southeast Texas sun would do the rest, according to a 2008 article by author Marie Beth Jones.
The hijackers — Lulseyd Tesfa, an Ethiopian national who was a student at Howard University, and Michael Stanley Green, a parking lot attendant — demanded a small plane and a pilot stripped to his shorts to prevent any trickery.
In the interview, Gladney told Jones the FBI was going to comply, but he wasn’t.
“I told him those two men could walk off that plane or they would leave it feet first,” Gladney is quoted as saying. The hijackers, from Washington, held three stewardesses hostage.
Gladney’s unwillingness to compromise became increasingly obvious to the hijackers as the day wore on.
“The most gratifying thing that happened that day was their final request,” he said. “They asked, ‘If we surrender, do we have to surrender to that tall fella’ with that big hat on?’ I took that as a compliment.”
The hijackers released the hostages, threw down their guns and gave themselves up about 4:30 p.m. By that time, the temperature in the plane had reached about 130 degrees.
Current Sheriff Charles Wagner remembers that time, and Gladney’s service to the county.
“That was him,” Wagner said. “This was his jurisdiction, this was his county and he was going to take care of it. You didn’t want to get on his bad side.”
Wagner relied on Gladney’s law enforcement acumen and memory long after he retired.
“If we had questions on old cases, I’d call and ask him and he’d start rattling off information about it,” Wagner said. “I always respected him as a peace officer and went to him when I needed information. He was well-known throughout the state and was a highly respected man.”
Funeral services have been set for 4 p.m. Monday at Lakewood Funeral Chapel, 98 N. Dixie Drive in Lake Jackson.
John Lowman covers Brazoria County for The Facts. Contact him at 979-849-8581.
