Robert Earl Friedlieb

ROBERT EARL FRIEDLIEB SR. 1946 - 2024

MACS Robert Earl Friedlieb, Sr., USN retired, 77, of Mobile, Alabama, passed away peacefully and went to be with the lord, on August 20, 2024.

He was born December 1, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut, to Katherine Ann (Guertin) Friedlieb, of Springfield, Massachusetts who passed on March 17, 2008. His biological father was Albert Clarence Nelson who was born in Hamden Connecticut on March 26, 1914, and died in Milford Connecticut on June 11, 1969. His adoptive father was Alexander Friedlieb, of New York, New York, who passed on November 21, 1995. Robert was christened, baptized, and made his first communion and confirmation in the Roman Catholic church. Robert went to Woolsey School in New Haven, Deer Run, East Haven Junior High and High Schools, in East Haven, Connecticut, and George Whittell School, in Zephyr Cove, Nevada.

He enlisted in the US Navy in 1965, while living at Lake Tahoe, Nevada with his mother, attended Aviation Fire Control School (AQF) in Millington, Tennessee, worked on several Navy fighter aircraft radar and weapons systems, had a brief assignment as a plane captain and Aircrewman at Fleet Composite Squadron One (VC-1), at Naval Station Barber's Point, Hawaii, and then made three deployments to Vietnam on the USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) between 1966 and 1969. He was aboard the Enterprise during the January 14th, 1969 fire which took the lives of 27 of his shipmates and injured over 300. Later, after serving at a fighter squadron and then the USS Forrestal (CV-59), Robert became a Military Policeman (Master-at-Arms) in 1975, after attending military police school at Fort McClellan, in Anniston, Alabama. He went on for duty at Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California; Naval Station Keflavik, Iceland; and the aircraft carrier USS America (CV-66) as the Chief Master-at-Arms (CMAA); and in 1989 retired as a Senior Chief Petty Officer (MACS) while at the Navy Inspector General's Office, in Pensacola, Florida. During his Navy career, he was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Navy Achievement Medal, Expert Pistol Shopt in .38 and .45 Cailbers, Navy Unit Commendation, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. While at NAS Moffett Field California he attended Santa Clara Criminal Justice Training Center and San Jose State University and briefly became a reserve police officer for the City of Los Altos. Never formally finishing high school he received his GED while in the Navy and a criminal justice degree from San Jose State University.

His law enforcement career was vast including patrol, accident investigation, criminal investigation, firearms instructor, and program administration in which he helped develop the security program within the US Navy. After retiring from the US Navy and a short stay with family at Lake Tahoe, Nevada, he worked for the state of Georgia Department of Corrections, as a Deputy Warden; Motorola Communications; a private security manager and consultant; and his last position was the founding Director of Security for Austal USA Shipbuilding, in Mobile, Alabama. Robert retired due to health reasons in May 2014 after suffering several heart attacks and a stroke, going on to recuperate in Baton Rouge, Louisiana for a short time, and then settling in Lynn Haven, Florida near family. In 2018 he relocated back to Mobile Alabama after being dislodged by Hurricane Michael.

Robert's hobbies of photography, genealogy, writing his memoirs, marksmanship, and traveling, kept him busy during his later years. He is survived by a brother, Albert Nelson, one child, Robert Earl Friedlieb, Jr. (Jennifer), and two grandchildren, Riley Murron, and Gavin Allister Friedlieb, all of whom reside in Colquitt, Georgia; one maternal aunt, June Marie (Guertin) Morrone, of New Haven, Connecticut; and many cousins. Robert is also survived by his extended family, Malcolm and Sheila McVicar, and Taylor, Kerri, Austin, and Jillian Toth of Lynn Haven, Florida, Jerry and Mary Anne Bemis, of Mobile, Alabama, Michael Sensabaugh and Christy Morris, of D'Iberville, Mississippi.

Robert's favorite Navy quote: "A [Senior] Chief is always right. He may be misinformed, inexact, bull-headed, fickle, ignorant, and even abnormally stupid. But he is never wrong!"

In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation http://www.t2t.org or the Wounded Warrior Project http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org

A graveside service will be held on August 30, 2024, at 9 AM at the Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetary at Spanish Fort

Bob wrote his autobiography containing his genealogical history that he wished to be published. It is freely accessible here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/subvu9fn3j9palknm5y59/Robert-Friedlieb-Sr.-Autobiography.pdf?rlkey=s3l63o35icvb121v5rvlf3oby&st=e0h14sfh&dl=0