Robert Albert Baum, an aerospace engineer whose work contributed to manned and unmanned space-flight, died peacefully at home on Friday (February 20, 2009) with his family. He was 72 years old. Robert was born in Lebanon, PA on April 27, 1936. After graduating from Lebanon High School, he proudly served his country as a Communications Specialist in the U.S. Air Force. After his discharge, he attended Pennsylvania State University where he graduated summa cum laude with a bachelors of science in physics. He received his masters in engineering science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His career was devoted to the integrity of flight in the U.S. Space Program, U.S. Military, and commercial ventures. He worked for 33 years at Hamilton Standard primarily in the design and implementation of inertial guidance and flight control systems through the Apollo and Space Shuttle Programs to the nation’s top fighter jets. For the past 10 years, he has been the managing partner of his consulting firm, Sof-Sys, LLC, where he continued his work in guidance, flight control, and fault tolerant control systems. He was an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics, a senior fellow of the American Astronautical Society, and a member of the Institute of Navigation, the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, Phi Kappa Phi, and Sigma Pi Sigma. He served for 45 years as the Treasurer of the Connecticut Valley Chapter of the Pennsylvania State Alumni Association. He received numerous awards, among them were the NASA Manned Flight Awareness Award (1970), the United Technologies Award for Extraordinary Achievement in Product Design (1982), and the United Technologies Mead Medal for Engineering Achievement (1984). Robert was a devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather. He leaves his wife Janet, his son Jim and daughter-in-law Brenda, and his grandsons Patrick and Mathias. He also leaves his sisters and brothers-in-law Dorothy and Al Schwartz (Lebanon, PA), Marian and Karl Peters (Lebanon, PA), and Carole and Richard Goodwin (Orlando, FL) as well as nieces and nephews. To his family and friends he bequeaths a rich treasury of warm memories. A memorial service celebrating his life will be held Saturday, February 28, 10:30 a.m. at The First Congregational Church, 184 Cherry Brook Road, Canton Center with the Reverend Susan M. Prichard officiating. Private burial will be at the convenience of the family. No flowers please; donations may be made to the North Kingstown Special Olympics at Special Olympics Rhode Island, Attn: Donations, 33 College Hill Rd., Bldg. #31, Warwick, RI 02886. Vincent Funeral Home, Canton is assisting the family with the arrangements. For online condolences or directions please visit www. vincentfuneralhome.com.

My uncle.  It still doesn’t seem real and probably won’t until the family gathers in Connecticut on Friday.