Robert Irving "Bob" Brasier

Robert Irving Brasier died with family at his side on May 29, 2017 at Copper Ridge Assisted Living Facility in Sykesville, Maryland. He had been in declining health.
"Bob" was born on July 31, 1927 in Carthage, Missouri. Following his graduation from Carthage High School he served for a year in the U.S. Army from 1944-1945. After his discharge from the Army he attended the University of Missouri on the GI Bill, where he obtained a BS in Mechanical Engineering. In 1951 Bob moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico to work at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (the "Lab"). It was in Los Alamos that Bob met his future wife, Roberta Casey, who had moved to town from New Jersey to work for Dr. John Wheeler on the Matterhorn Project. Bob and Roberta were married in July 1954 in the Chapel at the Los Alamos United Church.
Bob's work at the Lab focused on the design and development of nuclear reactors. To further his education, Bob obtained his M.S.in Mechanical Engineering and his PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the University of New Mexico. However, Bob's education did not end there. Throughout his life and despite (or because of) having four children at home, he regularly took and taught classes, many through the University of New Mexico. His last degree came in 1981, when he received an MBA from UNM.
Bob's accomplishments included a US Patent awarded to the Lab in 1971 for a "safe & compact nuclear reactor," where he is listed as one of the two inventors of the reactor.
In 1976, Bob, along with Phil Reinig and Bob Donham became the "founding fathers" of Los Alamos Technical Associates, Inc ("LATA"). One of the highlights of Bob's work at LATA was the opportunity in 1991 to travel to the Ukraine to inspect the damaged nuclear reactor at Chernobyl and to participate in the submission of a proposal for its cleanup.
Outside of work and at home, Bob was known as a lover of cats, peanuts and beer. He had many activities and projects going on at all times. He built two of his family's houses on Barranca Mesa, he made furniture, and wood crafts, and he was a skilled jeweler, who worked with turquoise and silver. He was also an avid boater, scuba diver and scuba instructor. Bob spent many years teaching scuba lessons in Los Alamos and going on diving trips with family and friends to wherever water could be found in the southwest, as well as to Mexico and Florida. In later years, and after he recovered from sending four children through college, he and Roberta travelled and took cruises throughout the world, almost always with good friends as companions.
Los Alamos was Bob's home for 61 years, until his wife, Roberta's death in 2011, and declining health, forced his move to Oregon to live with his daughter, Marilyn, and her family. He had recently moved again, this time to Sykesville, Maryland, to live in an assisted living facility close to his other daughter, Lee Ann Fults.
Bob is survived by four children, Marilyn Brasier (and husband, Doug Parrish), Allan Brasier (and wife, Anne), David Brasier (and fiancée, Tracie Pope), and Lee Ann Fults (and significant other, Robert Barry); five grandchildren, Karen Brasier, Joshua Brasier, Jacob Brasier, Jason Davis and Andrew Parrish; and step-granddaughter, Lesley Parrish. Bob is preceded in death by his wife of many years, Roberta, his daughter, Susan Brasier and his grandson, Rob Brasier.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Los Alamos Friends of the Shelter or to Galveston College, "to be held in the Rob Brasier Memorial Fund" (i.e. Bob's grandson).