Robert Holmes

Robert Sylvester Holmes died March 9. He was 92.

Holmes was born on Dec. 15, 1930 to Capt. and Mrs. Thomas R. Holmes at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, District of Columbia. He graduated in 1947 from the Tokyo American School as a salutatorian and from the Longwood Preparatory Academy in Bronx, New York as a valedictorian in 1948. He graduated in 1952 from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1958 and 1959.

Holmes was a graduate of basic and advanced officer courses at Fort Benning, Georgia and the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He launched his military career with the U.S. Army in their 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment in 1952. He then served in Korea with the 2nd and 7th Infantry Divisions. His other tours included Fort Rucker in Alabama, Fort Benning in Georgia, Hawaii and two tours in Vietnam - one with the 1st Infantry Division and 23rd Infantry Division more commonly known as the American. Division which was an infantry division of the U.S. Army during World War II and the Vietnam War.

One of the most important moments of his career was a tour as a research assistant at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory where he was involved in the designing and production of nuclear weapon components. His last tour of duty with the service was as a director of shock physics for the Defense Nuclear Agency.

He is survived by his wife, Marilyn; his children: Shelby Glenn, Lindsay Williams, Timothy and Eric Holmes; stepdaughters: Lori Gray and Cheri Raber; 16 grandchildren and a growing number of great grandchildren.

He will be laid to rest at the Holmes Family Plot in Centerville, Maryland. A private memorial will be held for family and friends.

To share memories of Holmes sign the online guestbook at www.evanschapel.com/obituary/bob-holmes.