Robert O. Woods

1933 - 2021

Robert O. Woods



Dr. Robert O. Woods, beloved husband, father, and

grandfather, died Sunday October 24, 2021 at the University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquerque. He was 88.

Bob is survived by his wife of nearly 55 years, Judy (Neese) Woods, sister Mary Campbell, children Lisa and Rob, grandsons Jernej Cuderman, Robert Reed and Curtis Woods, and many relatives and friends.

Born February 17, 1933, in Evanston Illinois, Bob was the son of Anna Welch and Robert Woods.

Studying independently, Bob passed the New Jersey State Professional Engineer (PE) exam and achieved a top score on the Graduate Record Exam. In 1960, Princeton University admitted him with advanced standing. Ford and National Science Foundation fellowships enabled him to complete his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 1966.Bob and Judy married in December of 1965, relocating to Sandia Labs where he worked for over 32 years, focused on atmospheric research, rocketry and balloons, robotics, airborne environmental monitoring, nuclear disarmament, renewable energy and control systems.

In 1991, the American Society for Mechanical Engineering (ASME) appointed Bob as a Congressional Fellow. Serving the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs chaired by John Glenn, he advised the United States Congress on national energy policy and strategies to advance engineering education.

Throughout his life, Bob had a profound curiosity for Art, Aviation, Science and History As a member of the American Society for Mechanical Engineering (ASME) History and Technology Committee, he published numerous journal articles addressing the impact of engineering on history.

Although dedicated to his family and rigorous in his work, Bob also pursued his hobbies with gusto. An avid private pilot, sailor, cyclist, and lifelong student of archaeology, his true avocation was flying sailplanes with the Albuquerque Soaring Club.

He assembled a home-built aircraft in his garage and sailed with his family on Cochiti and Elephant Butte reservoirs. Over 30+ years working at Sandia, he commuted to work most days by bicycle. In 1979, he toured the historic sites of ancient Greece by

ten-speed bicycle.

Bob assisted the Institute of Nautical Archaeology in the development of a Remotely Operated Vehicle for the exploration of sunken triremes. He rafted the Grand Canyon, hiked Yosemite, explored the National Parks with his family and made numerous trips up the La Luz Trail. He was an avid amateur radio operator, who worked thousands of Morse code contacts with fellow enthusiasts around the world. Bob and Judy together traveled on many international adventures, from South America to the Pacific, to the Near East. Bob was also a lover of classical music, holding season tickets to the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra for over three decades.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to your charity of choice or to the New Mexico Philharmonic www.nmphil.org. A memorial service is planned for June 2022. Interested friends are invited to contact the family for additional details.