Robert Orrin Bartlett

Robert Orrin Bartlett “Bob”, 82, of Annapolis, MD died April 4, 2026, from complications of Parkinson’s Disease. He is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Patti; treasured son, Robert Arthur, beloved daughter-in-law, Mariane, and cherished grandson, Lucas, of Germantown, MD; sisters: Rosemary Epperly (Mason) of Winston-Salem, NC and Alison Davis of Silver Spring, two nieces : Melissa Epperly McIvain and Corinne Epperly Piddington; four nephews: Joseph Davis, Ricky Davis, Zach Davsi, and Allen Reneau; and thirteen cousins. He is preceded in death by his parents, Henry Arthur Bartlett and Mary Alice Bartlett, and a brother, Henry Arthur, Jr.

Bob was born in Washington, DC, and later moved to Silver Spring with his family where he graduated from Northwood High School. Bob earned a BS in Electrical Engineering at Virginia Tech. He also earned an MS from University of Maryland, and a DSc from George Washington University. While at Virginia Tech, he was a member of the Highty Tighties, the Corps of Cadets marching band.

Bob began working at NASA as undergraduate cooperative education student and served 32 years at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. During his time at NASA, Bob served as a systems engineer, supporting Applications Technology Satellites (ATS) 4, 5, and 6, Multimission Modular Spacecraft (MMS), and the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) projects, among others. He left NASA in 1981 and spent 23 years in private industry, working at SPACECOM, Fairchild Space and Defense Corporation, and AFS Trinity Power Corporation. He returned to NASA in 2004 and worked until his retirement in 2017. Bob held a professional engineering license from the state of Virginia. He authored or co-authored over 50 professional papers, and he held a patent. During his career, Bob received several awards and honors, including the NASA/GSFC Exceptional Performance Award and the AIAA National Capital Section Engineer/Scientist Award.

Bob served as president of the National Capital Section of The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and he became an AIAA Associate Fellow.

Skiing was a favorite winter activity, and he was an accomplished skier, but his passion was sailing his beloved sailboat, Patricia. He and Patti bought the ketch in 1979 and sailed offshore via the Gulf Stream to Annapolis from Sarasota, FL. After Rob was born, he joined them for many weekends and weeklong sails on the Chesapeake. They especially enjoyed inviting family and friends to sail with them.

The family will receive friends at the John M. Taylor Funeral Home 147 Duke of Gloucester Street Annapolis, Maryland 21401 from 5 to 8 pm on Friday, April 17, 2026.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, April 18 at 4 pm in the John M. Taylor Funeral Home Chapel, 147 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis, MD 21401 with a reception following at the Epping Forest Clubhouse.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Epping Forest Chapel, c/o Kathy Anderson, 345 Epping Way, Annapolis, MD 21401 or the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 6 Herndon Ave., Annapolis, MD 21403.