Bob graduated from Germantown High School in 1942 and enlisted in the Army. He served in the European Theatre in the 102nd Ozark Infantry Division where he was awarded the Purple Heart, the Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star.
After VE day, he entered college earning a Civil Engineering Degree from Drexel University. Germany was rebuilding, so Bob took a job as a Department of Army Engineer and was assigned to a post in Austria.
In 1954, he returned to the United States and settled in Philadelphia, PA working on various assignments as a government Civil Engineer. In 1960, he moved to Alaska and became a project engineer at Elmendorf AFB, where he retired in 1974.
Bob loved Alaska and that is where he met Diane in 1990, and they were married in October of 1992. In 2004, Bob and Diane moved to The Woodlands, TX where they became members of the First Baptist Church of The Woodlands and active members of the Celebration Sunday School Class.
He is survived by his loving wife, Shirley Diane Tompkins; step-daughter Brenda Sweisthal; granddaughter Chelsey Sweisthal; and brother William Tompkins and his wife Laura.
A celebration of Bob’s life is set for 2:00 P.M., Tuesday, November 30, 2010 in the Chapel at Forest Park The Woodlands Funeral Home.
To sign the register book, or to offer your memories of Bob to the family, please visit www.forestparkthewoodlands.com.
