Dr. Robert B. "Bob" Barlow Jr.

Dear Pat,

For years, I have tried to locate you and Bob. Today, after reading an article about searching for a "long lost friend," I did another search and came upon Bob's obituary. Zeb and I remember sitting on a porch with you and Bob years ago and sharing the happenings of marriage and family. Over 40 years have passed since that visit, and I regret that we lost touch. We send very belated condolences to you and your family. After reading Bob's amazing obituary, we know that...

I am part of a team of educators who coordinate the Green Eggs & Sand (horseshoe crab & shorebird education) project. Bob was a guest presenter at several of our workshops over the past decade, including ones on Cape Cod and Delaware Bay. His presentations were always dynamic and engaging, and were enjoyed greatly by the workshop participants and our team. His contributions to raising awareness of the importance and wonder of this ancient marine animal were substantial and he will be...

Dear Pat,
Words cannot express our sorrow for your loss. Bob was a gracious and kind person who was always willing to help. His extraordinary passion for research was inspirational. He will be missed dearly.

Mukhtar & Uzma Khan

Pat
I was walking in the New Years Parade around Eel Pond, which is a winter Woods Hole institution that I had never participated in, but had heard about for years. The usual rag tag group, some with bells on, some carrying slogans for peace and justice. We had reached the Aquarium on Albatross Street when, for the 4th time, someone with a camera asked me to pose for a picture wearing the limulus helmet that I made some years ago. 'What is it?' , a nearby child asked. 'Oh, thats the...

Dear Pat,

There is so much I’ll miss about Bob. He was unique. I’ll even miss the late-night phone calls. He’d want to talk science and it was always enlightening to indulge him, whatever the hour; I’d always denied that woke me from a deep sleep and was more than happy to go on for hours, despite the competing call of my circadian rhythm to get back into bed. I had known him for 20 years and never got used to his energy and enthusiasm for the science he was doing and...

To the Barlow Family:

Bob was one of those rare individuals who lived life to its fullest. We have all benefited from his grace, warmth, humor, curiosity, intellect and most of all, his loyal friendship. I will miss him but am grateful to him for making my life richer.

Dear Pat,

We were shocked and saddened to learn of Bob’s death. As you well know, Bob and I have been friends for 50 years since we were graduate students together at Rockefeller. In fact, he was one of my best friends. Bob’s scientific brilliance was evident when I first met him, and he has done extraordinary research since then. But he was not a one-dimensional man. He had many interests, and he conducted his life, both scientific and personal, with exuberance and...

Pat and family:

We were blown away at the news of Bob's passing. I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to have met Bob. Both my dad (Dick) and mom (Eleanor) have such deep respect for his many incredible accomplishments in the field of research. I cannot begin to tell you how many times my parents simply marveled at Bob's natural brilliance and intellect. However, it was Bob's innate ability to be so down to earth and move in such a quiet and unassuming manner that not only...

Dear Barlow Family,
On behalf of the entire Black Family (Lee, Sue, Scott, Stephen and myself), please accept our most sincere sympathies. I fondly remember cool summer evenings at Hamel's pond, F-M Football games on Friday nights with Jill & Kim and then growing closer to "Doc" as I excelled in swimming in high school and then at SU. He was a mentor and advisor to me through some good as well as some difficult times. He was always willing to give his time and attention. There are...