Dr. Robert Maurice Fristrom, PhD of Silver Spring, Maryland passed away peacefully with his son and daughter in law by his side, on November 14, 2014 at the age of 92. He was born May 26, 1922 in Portland, Oregon, the only son of Ivar and Irene Fristrom. He is survived by his son and daughter in law Robert R. and Lisa Fristrom, cousins Roger, Chris and David Ruud, sister in law Lee Stafford, brother in law Jeffery Greenspan, nephew Bill Stafford, niece Leann Hoke, son in law John Helfer, grandchildren Steven Sayavong, Savannah Helfer, Alicia, Cassandra and Diana Fristrom and great grandchildren Ayla Helfer and Dante Sayavong. Bob received a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Reed College in 1943 and a Masters in Chemistry with honors from the University of Oregon in 1945. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946. He entered Stanford University in 1946 and graduated in 1948 with a PhD in Physical Chemistry. He was a post doctoral Research Fellow at Harvard from 1948 to 1951. Bob moved to Maryland in 1951 and joined the Applied Physics Laboratory of the Johns Hopkins University, where he met his future wife Geraldine. He spent the next 44 years as a research scientist at APL. His research interests included Combustion, Propulsion, Microwave Spectroscopy, Molecular Beams, and Chemical Kinetics. He published over 100 research papers and three books. He held visiting professorships at the University of Göttingen, Germany, University of California at Berkeley, University of California at Los Angles and Stanford University. His numerous awards include the Combustion Institute Silver Medal and the Alexander von Humboldt prize from Germany’s Humboldt Foundation. After retiring from APL in 1995 Bob and his beloved wife Gerrie split their time between their home in the Hillandale neighborhood of Silver Spring and their Sarasota, Florida house. They travelled often, visiting with family and friends around the world. After losing Gerrie in 2007, their son Rob and his family joined Bob at the Hillandale home. He spent his final years enriching the lives of friends and family, experiencing great joy from the time he spent with the family’s youngest members, his twin granddaughters Cassie and Di (age 4) and his great grandchildren Ayla and Dante (age 6). Bob gave friendship, wisdom and happiness to all that knew him. He was loved by many and will be missed by all. A memorial service will be held at the Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home, 11800 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD on Saturday December 6, 2014 at 11:30 am. A celebration of Bob’s life will follow the service at McGinty’s Public House, 911 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring, MD beginning at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be given to APL’s Richard B. Kershner Scholarship Fund. Checks should be made payable to JHU Applied Physics Laboratory – Kershner Fund and sent to JHU Applied Physics Laboratory, 7700 Montpelier Road, Laurel, Maryland 20723, Attn. Felecia Hartley Dr. Robert Maurice Fristrom, PhD of Silver Spring, Maryland passed away peacefully with his son and daughter in law by his side, on November 14, 2014 at the age of 92. He was born May 26, 1922 in Portland, Oregon, the only son of Ivar and Irene Fristrom. He is survived by his son and daughter in law Robert R. and Lisa Fristrom, cousins Roger, Chris and David Ruud, sister in law Lee Stafford, brother in law Jeffery Greenspan, nephew Bill Stafford, niece Leann Hoke, son in law John Helfer, grandchildren Steven Sayavong, Savannah Helfer, Alicia, Cassandra and Diana Fristrom and great grandchildren Ayla Helfer and Dante Sayavong. Bob received a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Reed College in 1943 and a Masters in Chemistry with honors from the University of Oregon in 1945. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946. He entered Stanford University in 1946 and graduated in 1948 with a PhD in Physical Chemistry. He was a post doctoral Research Fellow at Harvard from 1948 to 1951. Bob moved to Maryland in 1951 and joined the Applied Physics Laboratory of the Johns Hopkins University, where he met his future wife Geraldine. He spent the next 44 years as a research scientist at APL. His research interests included Combustion, Propulsion, Microwave Spectroscopy, Molecular Beams, and Chemical Kinetics. He published over 100 research papers and three books. He held visiting professorships at the University of Göttingen, Germany, University of California at Berkeley, University of California at Los Angles and Stanford University. His numerous awards include the Combustion Institute Silver Medal and the Alexander von Humboldt prize from Germany’s Humboldt Foundation. After retiring from APL in 1995 Bob and his beloved wife Gerrie split their time between their home in the Hillandale neighborhood of Silver Spring and their Sarasota, Florida house. They travelled often, visiting with family and friends around the world. After losing Gerrie in 2007, their son Rob and his family joined Bob at the Hillandale home. He spent his final years enriching the lives of friends and family, experiencing great joy from the time he spent with the family’s youngest members, his twin granddaughters Cassie and Di (age 4) and his great grandchildren Ayla and Dante (age 6). Bob gave friendship, wisdom and happiness to all that knew him. He was loved by many and will be missed by all. A memorial service will be held at the Hines-Rinaldi Funeral Home, 11800 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD on Saturday December 6, 2014 at 11:30 am. A celebration of Bob’s life will follow the service at McGinty’s Public House, 911 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring, MD beginning at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be given to APL’s Richard B. Kershner Scholarship Fund. Checks should be made payable to JHU Applied Physics Laboratory – Kershner Fund and sent to JHU Applied Physics Laboratory, 7700 Montpelier Road, Laurel, Maryland 20723, Attn. Felecia Hartley
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