Robert H. Weeks

WEEKS, ROBERT H., REAR ADMIRAL

Born November 2, 1909 in Springfield, MA. On Wednesday, June 11, 2003 ROBERT H. WEEKS died at the Arleigh Burke Pavilion in McLean, VA. He earned an appointment to the Naval Academy in 1928 and graduated in 1932. In 1934 he married the late Reina Sigrid Alvord of Long meadow, MA.

After several years of serving on cruisers and submarines he was chosen to join a new special cryptologic branch in the Naval Operation staff in Washington, D.C. Well before Pearl Harbor, June 1941, he and three other military officers traveled on the battleship HMS King George V to England. There they exchanged among other things, Japanese codes for information on the now famous German Enigma cryptologic machine. During World War II he was assigned to Navy communication security commands in Washington, which included his carrying codes aboard President Roosevelt's yacht on the Potomac. In 1947 and 1948 he was Skipper of the USS James C. Owens (DD-776) when she supported the UN Palestine/Israel Mediation Force. He was skipper of the oiler USS Sabine (AO-25) 1953/54. As Commodore of Destroyer Squadron 10, 1958/59, aboard the USS Force Sherman (DD-931), he commanded an Atlantic Task Force through the Suez Canal to join Pacific forces protecting Formosa from communist China. After selection for Rear Admiral in 1960 he was Commander of Cruiser/Destroyer Flotilla 10, 1961 and 1962. He was Deputy for Communications and Electronics, European command, based in Paris 1963 to 1965. He served as Director of Naval Communications (DNC) from 1965 to 1968 and finished his career as Vice Director of the Defense Communications Agency (DCA), retiring in 1971. In retirement he tutored English as a second language to children in the Arlington school system.

He is survived by: daughter, Sigrid Weeks Benson of Gulf Breeze, FL and son, John Alvord Weeks of Silver Spring, MD; Sigrid's two sons, Capt. (Sel) Timothy Atkinson, USN and Dr. Tobias Atkinson, DVM; John's two sons, Gregor David Weeks and Andrew Robert Weeks and daughter, Renee Pauline Weeks; and three great-grandchildren, Joshua Leverett Atkinson, Sarah Mashburn Atkinson, and Zachary Weeks Atkinson.

A Memorial reception will be held at the ARLINGTON FUNERAL HOME, from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, July 2, 2003. The funeral ceremony will be attended only by immediate family on July 8, 2003 at the Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers please make donations to the Navy League of the United States, 2300 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201.