Robert Edward James

Robert Edward James, 88, passed away on April 17, 2026. Born December 28, 1937, in St. Pedro Sula, Honduras, Robert made his home in Merritt Island, Florida, where his days were shaped by steady devotion, hard work, and an adventurous spirit that never stopped looking skyward.

Robert’s early path was marked by discipline and purpose. He studied at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbour, MI, as an Engineering Scientist specializing in Aero Propulsion, graduating in June 1960 with a B.S.E.; a foundation that would carry him into a life spent helping move the impossible into the realm of the real.

Across a remarkable career, Robert brought careful skill and tireless commitment to some of the most demanding work of his era. He served as an engineering specialist OMS/RCS on the space shuttle launch team for Boeing North American Corporation at Kennedy Space Center, where he later retired. His work also included General Dynamics (Convair Division), where he was responsible for propulsion systems testing as an engineer for the Titan-Centaur launch at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station; Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, where he was lead propulsion systems engineer on the Lunar Module (Apollo Project) at Kennedy Space Center during the Lunar Landing effort; and Martin Marietta Corporation, where he served as a safety and quality engineer on Mace, Titan 1 & 2 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Through it all, Robert’s diligence was more than a professional trait. It was a way of honoring the responsibility of the work itself.

Flight was not only part of Robert’s career world; it was a lifelong calling. He logged 5,500 flight hours, including MEL -1,900, DC-3 -550, Convair 340 -9, and Dual Given - 2,400. He flew with the Valiant Air Command as a C-47 pilot out of the Titusville-Cocoa airport (Florida). He also served Merritt Island Air Service as a flight instructor and chief pilot for air taxi operations. Robert obtained ATP in DC-3, ATP MEL, and Tursair at Opa Locka, Florida; obtained ATP for SEL; obtained Comm MES at Opa Locka, Florida; and through Melbourne Air Service obtained Comm SMEL and served as an instructor—CFIA, ll & ME—acting as a flight instructor in Melbourne Florida. He obtained SEL (pvt.) in the Chicago area, and SES (pvt) in Green Bay, Wisconsin. In the air, as in life, Robert’s adventurous nature was guided by training, patience, and a deep respect for what it means to be entrusted with others.

Robert shared 62 years of marriage with his wife, Ann, whom he met at work. Their life together grew into a family of 2 children and 4 grandchildren—an enduring testament to the quiet strength of commitment, and to love expressed through constancy.

Away from runways and launch pads, Robert found another kind of grace on the ice. He began competitive skating at age 11 in Illinois, first drawn in by Friday night “pop concerts,” the ice shows where he performed, and where, by his own joy, he was hooked. He passed the 14-step of the bronze dance. His first competition was at Midwesterns, where he won the gold medal, and he also took home the gold medal for the Midwestern Junior Men’s even. He continued to compete in college, and even after beginning work as an engineer, he kept skating, still testing, still learning, still returning to the discipline and beauty that had first captured him.

A faithful presence in his community, Robert was a 50 year member of the Grace United Methodist Church in Merritt Island, Florida, where his devotion found a home not only in belief, but in the steady act of showing up, year after year.

Visitation will be held at Grace United Methodist Church, 65 Needle Blvd, Merritt Island, FL 32953, US, on April 25, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. The Funeral Service will follow at the same location on April 25, 2026, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. A Flyover Tribute will take place at Grace United Methodist Church on April 25, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm. Committal will be held at Fountainhead Memorial Park, 7303 Babcock St SE, Palm Bay, FL 32909, US, on April 25, 2026, from 3:00 pm to 3:30 pm.

Robert will be laid to rest at Fountainhead Memorial Park, 7303 Babcock Street SW, Palm Bay.

In remembering Robert, we remember a life built with care. Devoted in love, hard-working in purpose, and adventurous in spirit. Leaving behind a legacy written in family, faith, and the vast, enduring horizon of flight.