Robert A. "Bob" de Groot

1928 - 2025

Mystic - Robert A. de Groot, 97, passed away peacefully at his home in Mystic, Nov. 6, 2025, with his family by his side.

Bob was born in Elizabeth, N.J. April 5, 1928, to Alfred W. de Groot and Ruth (Greenwood) de Groot. His father was an engineer and his mother, a music educator, and Bob inherited a love of both disciplines. He learned piano and trumpet and played in bands in high school. A favorite memory of his was playing in a group with future jazz great Bill Evans sitting in.
He enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a submarine electrician and after his service, graduated from Bucknell University as an electrical engineer.
Hired as a test engineer by Electric Boat in 1956, Bob worked on the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine. He and his family moved to Barrow-in-Furness, England from 1961-1963, as part of a team selected by EB to work at Vickers-Armstrong on Britain's first nuclear submarine, the Dreadnought.
In 1973, he obtained his M.S. in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 1983, he moved to Idaho to work for EB, where he continued to enjoy his love of the outdoors, skiing, fishing, and sailing. He retired from EB after 34 years as chief test engineer and remained in Idaho for a number of years.
After retiring from EB, he started a second career as a patent agent for a law firm in Idaho Falls. He returned to Mystic in 1999, continuing work as an independent patent agent. Until this summer, he was happily involved as a trumpet player in three community jazz bands. For many years, he was a faithful member of the "Gung Ho" volunteer carpenters at Mystic Seaport and also at Habitat for Humanity.
Bob was predeceased by his wife, Nancy Phillipson de Groot. He is survived by his sister Margaret El Hadj; daughters, Jane de Groot (Daniel Dray), Carol de Groot Bois (Robert Bois) and Alison de Groot (Christopher Guidera); and grandchildren: Nathaniel and Jonathan Dray, Alex and Corey Bois, and Lila, Violet, and Angela Guidera-de Groot. He will be greatly missed by family and friends.

A memorial service for Bob will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at the Mystic Congregational Church 43 East Main Street, Mystic. His burial will be held privately and at the convenience of the family.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Noank-Mystic Community Band, P.O. Box 9266, Noank, CT 06340; the Waterford Community Band, c/o Steven Caldwell,420 Old New London Road, Salem, CT 06420; and the Mystic & Noank Library, 40 Library Street, Mystic, CT 06355.
The family gives grateful thanks to all the hospice caregivers who tenderly cared for Bob in his final days.