Robert J Edwards

Bob was born on August 17th, 1936, in Elberton, Georgia to Mary Victoria Edwards and Robert Stuart Edwards. As a young boy, he moved with his family to Baltimore during WWII. He grew up in the city of Baltimore but spent many summers of his childhood playing in the creeks and visiting relatives in Elberton where he was affectionately known as Bobby Joe. His large loving family in Georgia was very dear to him, and he returned there for visits throughout his life.

Bob attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute where he completed the challenging high school A-Course that prepared him for engineering school. Bob loved the dedicated teachers and spirited Friday afternoon pep rallies. After graduation from Poly, Bob attended Johns Hopkins University where he earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and wore the number 88 on both the football and lacrosse fields for four years. He played on the 1957 Johns Hopkins National Championship Lacrosse Team coached by the legendary Bob Scott and was an Honorable Mention All American in Lacrosse in both 1957 and 1958. In the summer of ’57, he traveled with his team to Europe where they were victorious over England before embarking on a memorable adventure exploring the continent. As a senior in 1958, Bob received the award for Most Improved Player and played in the prestigious North-South All-Star Game. After college, Bob played club lacrosse in Baltimore and remained a lifelong super fan of the Johns Hopkins Lacrosse team.

After JHU, Bob enjoyed a short stint in the Army as a Chemical Corps Officer and went through Jump School at Fort Benning, GA. He then took a position on the Structural Mechanics Research Staff at Martin Marietta Corp., Baltimore Division where he worked for seven years. In 1965, he married the love of his life, Carol Ellen Kilmore, with whom he had two daughters, Vicki and Laura. In 1967 Bob left Martin and took a position on the Structures Staff at the Naval Ordnance Lab in White Oak, Maryland where he remained for thirty-one years. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland in 1975. At the Naval Lab, he led the Structures Group for strategic reentry systems, providing structural analysis and materials development for reentry bodies launched by Trident submarines. Bob enjoyed his work, especially the camaraderie of high performing teams and the fulfillment of mentoring younger engineers. Bob and Carol were happily married for 26 years, creating a home filled with love and laughter until she was taken by cancer in 1991. He retired in 1998 and continued to work part time for Advanced Technology & Research Corporation as a consultant to the Navy Reentry Systems Office until 2018.

In 2014, Bob left Baltimore and moved to Charlottesville, VA to live near his daughter Laura and her family. His only grandson, Max, was the apple of his eye and they enjoyed a very close bond throughout the years. “DadaBob” shared his love of lacrosse, math, and science with his grandson, and could not have been prouder when Max followed in his footsteps, going on to study engineering and play lacrosse in college. When Max earned a spot on the University of Virginia team, Bob had two teams to cheer for and closely followed every Hopkins and Virginia game. The day before Bob left this world, he had the joy of seeing his grandson on TV playing for UVA in the 2024 Final Four at National Championship weekend in Philadelphia.

Bob loved hunting, fishing, and boating on the Eastern Shore of Maryland where he spent many happy weekends with his family. He was an active member of the Lloyds Creek Hunting Club for thirty-two years where he developed lasting friendships across generations. After his girls grew up, Bob loved visiting his lifelong best friend, Tom Hollingsworth, in Idaho for a month every summer where he enjoyed fishing and exploring the beautiful mountain landscapes of Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia. Bob also loved traveling to France, visiting Paris many times and enjoying the extraordinary wine, food, art, and culture. A true Renaissance man, Bob was exceptionally well-read, a history buff, an experienced outdoorsman, a lover of birds and wildlife, an artist and art enthusiast, a connoisseur of seasonal produce, an excellent cook and grill master, an aficionado of life, and above all, a devoted family man who made all those around him feel supported and loved.

Bob is survived by his daughter Mary Victoria Edwards, his daughter Laura Edwards Wooten, his son-in-law Ken Wooten, his grandson Max Wooten, his beloved sister Carolyn Stamps, his brother-in-law George Stamps, his sister-in-law Donna Bacas, his nephew Allen Larsen, his niece Brooke Waldron and family, his nephew John Bacas, and many grand nieces, grand nephews and extended family members who affectionately knew him as Uncle Bobby. Bob was preceded in death by his beloved wife Carol Kilmore Edwards, his brother-in-law Harry Bacas, and his niece Wendy Neville.