Robert Nathan Golden

Robert (Rob) Nathan Golden, age 73, passed away on May 24, 2025, surrounded by loved ones at his home in Kirkland, Washington.



A public funeral service will be held on May 29, 2025, at 11:30 a.m., at Congregation Beth Shalom, 6800 35th Ave. NE, Seattle, WA 98115. A burial will follow at 1:00 p.m. at the Beit Shalom Cemetery, part of Abbey View Cemetery, 3601 Alaska Rd., Brier, WA 98036.

Shiva will be observed at the following times:

– Thursday, May 29, 2025: 3:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., with Minyan at 7:30 p.m.

– Friday, May 30, 2025: 3:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., with Minyan at 3:00 p.m.

– Sunday, June 1, 2025: 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Shiva observance and Minyan will be held at the Golden Phillips home, 12117 NE 66th St., Kirkland, WA 98033.



Born on March 11, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois, Rob spent his childhood conducting experiments with (and perhaps sometimes on) his younger brothers, Kim and Bruce, in the basement of their home on Coyle Avenue. That same basement served as the venue for six decades of Passover seders, where Rob, his brothers, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and any number of extended family and friends gathered each year to read the Haggadah, sneak bits of brisket before dinnertime, and hope there was a good prize for whoever found the afikomen. This tradition carried on to the next generation, where Rob's own children and their cousins spent their formative Passover years in that same basement, wreaking much the same havoc.



Rob attended Oberlin College with Kim, much to the delight of the brothers and in no small part thanks to the benevolence of the college financial aid department. Rob was a member of the Oberlin swim team, and remained an avid swimmer even in his later years. He went on to obtain his PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Washington, where he met and fell in love with fellow graduate student, Nona Phillips. Rob and Nona built a life and home together in Seattle, before moving across the lake to Kirkland with their young children so that-at demand of the youngest-they could have room for a dog.



From the time of his company's founding in 1994, Rob spent his career designing and building medical devices at Lucent Medical Systems. The technology developed by Rob and his colleagues has been used in more than a million procedures and helped countless patients and healthcare providers across the country.



In his spare time, Rob was an avid foodie, admitted nerd, and talented musician. He loved to cook meals for others, spend time with Nona, friends, and family at their beach house, and go kayaking to see if any of the harbor seals might stop by for a friendly chat. He was an accomplished guitar player, took up violin just for fun in adulthood (the dog had mixed feelings about that one), and had a beautiful singing voice. He enjoyed reading, watching any number of science fiction television series, exploring math and physics questions with his son, and graciously reading his daughter's attempts at novel writing. Above all, he loved spending time with his wife and loved ones in the two beautiful homes they built together.



A much beloved husband, father, son, grandfather, brother, cousin, and friend, Rob is survived by his wife of 42 years, Nona Phillips; son Aaron Golden, daughter-in-law Rebecca Lee Golden, and granddaughter Kaiyah Golden; and daughter Shoshana Golden and son-in-law Michael Childers, Jr. Rob was predeceased by his father, Abraham Golden, and is survived by his mother, Lee Golden. Rob is additionally survived by his brothers and their families, Kim Golden, Jean Suda, Rebecca Eve Golden, Ryan Patterson, Jeremy Golden, and Daniel Golden; and Bruce Golden, Michelle Mercer, Zoe Mercer-Golden, Valentin Bolotnyy, Benjamin Mercer-Golden, and Victoria Wills.



Rob loved and cherished his friends, coworkers, and neighbors as family, and never knew a stranger. He was beloved by all who were lucky enough to know him and will be deeply missed.



In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a charity of your choosing.