Robert E. Hedges

Robert E. Hedges passed away peacefully on February 16, 2026. "Bob," as he was called throughout his life, was born in Frederick County, Maryland, in 1939, "on November the oneth," as he would proudly say, All Saints' Day. He grew up at Waverly, a large Victorian house outside Brunswick, MD.

When Bob was 16, his father, John Sprigg Hedges, died, and Bob took on considerable responsibilities to support his mother, Nena Adele. After graduating from Brunswick High School in 1957, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and served as a meteorologist at Ft. Eustis in Williamsburg, VA. In 1962 he was sent to Miami, Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis to monitor the weather. Following his military service, he worked for the Peoples Bank in Brunswick while attending the University of Maryland on the GI Bill. He graduated with a B.S. in Economics in 1966 and served as an economist for the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). After the CAB closed under the Airline Deregulation Act, Bob moved to the Office of the Secretary of the Department of Transportation, where he became Chief of the Western Hemisphere for Aviation Policy. He regularly briefed diplomats from the State Department and negotiated complex airspace treaties with Caribbean, Central American, and South American countries, before retiring in 1994.

Bob courted and ardently pursued Virginia Dare Sine, a classmate at Brunswick High, and they married on January 21, 1959, and divorced 30 years later. Together they raised three children-Elizabeth, Joan, and Bill. Bob loved being a dad and was playful and goofy. His family will forever recount his funny sayings like "Owls are birds that live in trees, with whoopee, whoopee, whoopee dees." He told them they could be anything they wanted to be and asked them to use their gifts to change the world.

Bob married Marilyn JoAnn DonCarlos, on July 29, 1996, in Bethesda, MD, and they thoroughly enjoyed 30 years of marriage, friendship, and adventure. Together, they sailed his Freedom yacht-appropriately named Freedom-around the Chesapeake Bay; flew her Mooney airplane to interesting locales; and traveled around the world. They designed and built a stunning home on the Corrotoman River in Virginia, where Bob tended to his yard, garden, and birds and they explored the river on the Marilyn J., a privateer deadrise. They entertained family and friends with delicious fare and fine wine and were active volunteers in the Lively, Virginia community. There Bob joined the Sons of the American Revolution and the Jamestown Society in affirmation of his roots and lineage. Bob had a special bond with their "very bad cats," Hobbes and Ra, who gave him much joy and affection.

Bob's faith in God was important to him. He taught Sunday School, volunteered on church boards, and built labyrinths at two churches. He had a strong baritone voice and could sing hymns even after Alzheimer's robbed him of other conversation. He constantly affirmed he was "blessed beyond his wildest dreams."

Bob and Marilyn moved into the Galloway Ridge Retirement Community in 2018. He often shared that they chose this facility to be close to Marilyn's daughter Barbara, who promised to be their advocate. He had a special bond with Barbara and her family, uniting them with his. Bob and Marilyn used every service offered by Galloway and stayed together through every transition.

Bob kept a positive attitude and shared joy with the staff and residents of Galloway Ridge. His sense of humor and comedic timing persisted even when disease robbed him of faculties and language. He shared and spread smiles and was well loved and cared for by the Galloway Ridge staff. He would exclaim, "Look at me. I've got some mileage on the model, but I look darn good. It's a Model A by the way." Bob's family is grateful for Barbara's advocacy and the love and care provided to him at the Arbor.

He is survived by his wife Marilyn DonCarlos; children Elizabeth Ripley (Ed), Joan Glynn (Bill), Bill Hedges (Lisa); stepdaughter Barbara DonCarlos (Dee); grandchildren Emily Ripley Carroll (Aidan), Noah Ripley (Andrija), Bill Glynn Jr., Michael Glynn, Alex Vig, and Amir Vig; great grandchildren Elias Carroll, Ezra Carroll, and Fiona Barkley; and siblings Adele (whom Bob nicknamed Kai) Marchant (Jay), Harry Hedges (Gwen), and Chuck Hedges (Betty), and their families. He was preceded in death by his ex-wife Virginia Dare Hedges; parents John Sprigg Hedges and Nena Adele Hedges; brothers John Hedges Jr. and William Hedges; and sister Mary Louise Bellack.

Bob wouldn't want us to be down though we were so sorry to see him go. He'd say, "Look at that lip. A bird might come along and poop on it." He would make us laugh when we were moping. Every time we'd say, "It's so good to see you, dad," he'd say, "It's better to be seen than viewed." Alas, it is.

A memorial service will be held at St. Marks Apostolic Faith Church at 11 am on Monday, May 25, 2026, in Knoxville, MD, and he will be interred at St. Mark's Cemetery, next to the church where he was baptized. Please join us to celebrate his life. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be streamed at https://www.youtube.com/@Saintmarksaf1.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Alzheimer's Association (https://www.alz.org) or the Episcopal Relief and Development Fund (https://www.episcopalrelief.org/).