John Robert Anderson, 84, of Minden, Nevada died unexpectedly in his home on June 15, 2017.
Born December 31, 1932 in The Bronx, New York City, Bob graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics in 1954. He had a passion for the night sky and the field of aerospace.

Summers spent with his family in a Scandinavian community established at Hillside Lake, New York inspired Bob to head west for the open spaces of California. Acceptance into the Howard Hughes Scholarship Program brought him to Los Angeles in 1954. There he combined grad school at UCLA with research into microwave electronics at Hughes Aircraft Company.

The California social scene kept Bob busy camping, waterskiing and snow skiing. He fell for Hughes Aircraft Company Ski Club member Patricia Wich, who delivered the mail to Mr. Hughes’ Office. Bob and Pat were married in September 1958.

In 1959, Bob earned a Master of Science degree in Electrical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley. He chose to return to Hughes Aircraft Company because they had just received funding from NASA for research in ion (electric) propulsion of spacecraft. The Hughes Aircraft team did succeed in developing the ion engine (and Bob enjoyed seeing the technology resurface for missions such as NASA’s Dawn Space Probe in his retirement years).

When funding for electric propulsion began to wane in 1966, Bob moved into the field of electronic warfare where he specialized in laser applications. This was the beginning of a 51-year engineering career in the following high technology fields; electro-optics, infrared sensors, laser effects, microwaves, physical electronics, plasma physics, pulsed power, particle beam devices and electric propulsion.
Bob helped develop the following working system hardware: system engineering of equipment for space propulsion; electronic warfare; acquisition, pointing and tracking; high energy lasers and tactical countermeasures. His career took place at the following companies; Hughes Aircraft Company, US Naval Research Laboratory, ILC Technology, Physics International and Lockheed martin Missiles & Space.
Bob and Pat had homes in Malibu, California, Annandale, Virginia and Mountain View, California. They were constantly making improvements to their homes and Bob did most of the handiwork himself. Between projects they found time to travel abroad and to visit relatives scattered across the U.S. Bob and Pat were two generous people; always available when you needed them.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Jon Alfred Anderson and Edith Kaino Anderson; his brother, Lloyd and his wife, Patricia Ann Anderson.

He will be missed by his three children and their spouses: Linda (Reid) Slayden, Eric (Cheryl) Anderson and Kristin (George Duncan) Anderson; six grandchildren; Brandon (Chelsee) Anderson, Andrew (Mariah) Anderson, Sherrie Anderson, Jamie Showalter, Emma Anderson and Gary Showalter, one great grandchild; Samantha Anderson, and nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will take place on Friday, August 4, 2017, 11:00 a.m. at the Plaza Hotel Event Center in Carson City, Nevada.

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