Robert Bruce McCoy

Bob’s greeting to you would be “Hi, I’m Bob, that’s with one o”.

Bob was born on 12 June 1929 in Hope, Michigan and passed away at home in Seattle on 8 July, 2023 at 94 years of age.

Bob was accepted into the Navy’s NROTC program in 1947 and attended college at the University of Washington where he earned a B.A. and B.S. While in college he developed an interest in flying and thus began his love of flying that lasted forever. He learned to fly seaplanes out of Lake Washington. His first flying job was using the seaplane to deliver newspapers to Bellingham, WA and with that he also satisfied his adventurous spirit by flying under the Aurora bridge. He was commissioned in the U.S. Navy in 1951 and there began his Naval career and his joy in serving his country. In 1955 he was accepted into the Navy flight school where he earned his wings as a Naval Aviator. He flew almost every type of of Naval aircraft and trained many others in the finer points of flying. He said “flying can be hours and hours of boredom punctuated with moments of sheer terror on takeoff and landing”. He served in both the Korean and Vietnam wars and spent a good deal of time in Korea, Japan and the Philippines. Along with flying he was an intelligence specialist and also served as administration, safety, operations, range control, and navigation training officer. After honorably serving for 24 years he retired in California. He and his wife, Marie, traveled, moved to Wisconsin, then to Washington to help his parents. After getting his real estate license he decided it was more important to help his friend with his business, so he learned about selling and servicing business machines. He was there as typewriters transitioned to electronics then to computers.

He enjoyed flying, hunting, fishing, anything outdoors, and baking. He made the best ginger snap cookies and always took some to his friends at the fitness center (the pain palace as he called it) and made sure Marie’s co-workers got their share too. He enjoyed visiting, helping others and meeting strangers. He had an amazing way of touching the hearts of others by putting them at ease and would tell stories about his adventures while learning their life stories. He was curious, a thinker, and an analyst with a generous spirit, and a very quick wit. He said, “I had a good time doing things I wish everyone could have done and was paid for it!” He was a gentleman from the old school.

As Bob once wrote: “God did not ‘give’ us our spouse or ‘give’ us our children. Each was assigned us that we might be comforted in life, that we might grow together as partners and teachers. That we might know and pass to each other His love.” And so he did pass this on to his loving wife and his dear family. Instead of being sad at his passing just remember one of his stories.

To honor his wishes there will be no service. Remembrances can be made in his name to a Veterans' organization (VFW, DAV, USO) or the Salvation Army. A graveside military honor service is being planned for later. May you rest in the arms of God.