Robert Mackin

December 4, 1925 - October 17, 2019 Robert J. Mackin Jr., Ph.D., died October 17, 2019 in Pasadena, California. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, December 4, 1925, Bob is survived by his beloved wife Merrilee Fellows, his daughter Dana Mackin Pilchik and son-in-law Evan Pilchik and their daughter Evie, daughter DeeDee Vanderwater, daughter Suzanne Goulding, sister Beverly Baetge and her sons and families. He was preceded in death by his parents Robert James and Gladys Mackin and his son, Robert J. Mackin III. He grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas where he claimed to have enjoyed such boyhood activities as squirrel hunting at the town dump. As a child he delighted in numbers and set out to write down ALL the numbers. He even made his car odometer milestones a family affair. This love of numbers took him far beyond Little Rock to Yale University where he received a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. His college education was interrupted to serve in the US Army infantry during World War II. He received both the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star and served during the Ardennes Offensive. After graduation from Yale, Bob received his Ph.D. in nuclear physics from Caltech. He worked for the Office of Naval Research in Washington, D.C. and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee before joining NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California in 1962, retiring in 1995. At JPL he managed the Space Sciences Division and later, programs in biomedical and energy technologies and in military research and development. He was a mentor to many women rising in the ranks at JPL, taking a sincere interest in their professional growth. He wrote one book, Current Knowledge of the Moon and Planets, co-edited another, The Solar Wind, and authored numerous articles. He served on the Board of Huntington Medical Research Institutes for 45 years and spent many years on the Board of Directors for SRO Housing (Single Room Occupancy Housing) in Los Angeles. Bob enjoyed travel and was always actively engaged with friends. His closest friends are those with whom he skied, enjoyed wine tasting, played tennis, sailed, backpacked, and attended musical events and Caltech lectures. He and Merrilee travelled to all continents except Australia and his adventures include soloing as a private pilot and touching whales in Baja. Throughout his life he daily knew the current phase of the moon. Bob was devoted to his family, especially his daughter, Dana. His pleasure in everything she did -- including her academic achievement becoming a Clinical Psychologist at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and faculty at the Medical School -- was exceeded only by his pleasure in her marriage to Evan and the arrival of their daughter, Evening (Evie). Bob was a gentleman, a friend, a hero. He passed away quietly with Merrilee and Suzanne at his side, with a view of his treasured San Gabriel Mountains and Pasadena architecture. The world is better for the presence of Bob Mackin in it. Although part of that light has gone out, his magical being will guide us forever. In lieu of flowers we encourage you to consider honoring Bob's legacy with a gift to Huntington Medical Research Institutes (HMRI) located at 686 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105. Please make your checks payable to HMRI or give online at: www.hmri.org/give-now/. Mountain View Mortuary (626) 794-7133 info@mtn-view.com