Robert was born in Coeburn, Virginia to Carl and Lucile Kilgore. He graduated from Emory & Henry College (1955) with a B.S. in Physics and Mathematics, the College of William & Mary (1963) with an M.A. in Physics, and the University of Southampton, England (1974) with a Ph.D. in Aerodynamic Engineering.
In 1957 Robert joined NACA Langley Memorial Laboratory and retired from NASA Langley Research Center in 1991. During his career, he conducted aeronautics research for space vehicles and airplanes publishing over 120 technical papers. He received five NASA Special Achievement Awards and was most proud of his 1976 Exceptional Scientific Achievement Award for the development of the cryogenic wind tunnel concept. This concept led to further advancements in aerodynamics, international recognition and collaboration (NATO countries, Japan, Russia and China). His work landed him in the 1976 Yorktown Victory Center time capsule. Robert was an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a Fellow in the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Chartered Engineer and a member of the Japan Society for Aeronautics and Space Sciences. He was an adjunct professor at Old Dominion University, a technical advisor to the China Aerodynamics Research & Development Center and a special advisor to the Sichuan Provincial Foreign Friendship Exchange Office. He was a past president and lifetime member of the Cryogenic Society of America.
Robert is survived by his wife of 64 years, Sarah Branscome Kilgore, daughter Jane Benton (Scott), sons Allen Kilgore (Suzie) and Joseph Kilgore (Kathy) and grandchildren Ashley, William, Laura, Rachel, Jillian and Avery Jayne. He is also survived by his brother Dr. C. J. Kilgore Jr. (Sue).
Robert enjoyed time with his family, family reunions, music and photography immensely. He sang for over 50 years in his college and church choirs and always took photos at family gatherings. He was an avid wordsmith who enjoyed challenging friends, family and even the nurses in ICU about the meanings and origins of words. He was a member of First United Methodist Church (FUMC) in Hampton for 60 years.
The family will hold a memorial service at FUMC on Sunday, November 18th at 2 pm followed by a reception at the church. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to the FUMC Youth Scholarship Fund.
Friends are encouraged to visit www.parklawn-woodfh.com to share memories and words of condolence with the family.
