Robert J. Kessler

On Tuesday, March 16, 2021, Robert J. Kessler, 83, of Glen Rock, passed away at Gilchrist Hospice Care in Towson, MD. He was the loving husband of M. Barbara (Smith) Kessler for 21 years. Robert was born on July 12, 1937 in Baltimore, MD to the late Althea "Al" and Olga B. (Sipes) Kessler. After graduating from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, he worked for the Glenn L. Martin Co. in the engineering department and then went on to serve in the U.S. Naval Reserves in an Air Anti-Submarine Squadron. After U.S. forces left Viet Nam in 1971, he served as navigator for a search and recovery team sent to find MIA’s in waters off of Viet Nam. He had a varied career as a consulting engineer which included designing, building and installing a robotically controlled ammunition load and assembly factory in the Midwest; designing electro-mechanical control systems for several hydraulic powered winch systems for towed array sonar on Navy vessels; designing pneumatic and hydraulic controls for temperature and humidity control of pressurized living spaces for 1500-foot undersea habitats; designing and building machinery for oil recovery system, mooring tension recorder and monitor system for use by large oil tankers moored at sea; designing and building automatic sequence flashing approach lighting system for airport runways; designing and building a full scale replica of a C&O Canal barge for the National Park Service used as a tour boat. He ran several small businesses until he found his dream business designing and building electronic test equipment; and he stayed with that one for 35 years until he retired at the age of 81. A variety of hobbies included a vast book collection; woodworking; playing the guitar, banjo and piano; singing; sailing (lived on a boat for several years); and flying. Surviving him are his wife, Barb; two children, Patrick Kessler and Cheryl Wood; three grandchildren: Lauren, Kyleigh, and Will; three siblings, Kenneth and Richard Kessler, and Carol Sowell; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Services and interment are private at the request of the family. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Paul Smith Library, 80 Constitution Avenue, Shrewsbury, PA 17361.