Robert Lynette

Robert "Bob" Lynette, loving father and husband, environmental hero and renewable energy pioneer, passed away at age 88 on September 30, 2025 in Sequim, WA, surrounded by his loved ones. Born on August 4, 1937, in Brooklyn, New York, Bob grew up in New Jersey before embarking on a career and personal journey that spanned the globe and left an enduring legacy in both his professional and personal life.

Bob graduated from Newark College of Engineering in 1959, and began his career at GE as a field representative working on autopilot and safety control systems for military aircraft. He quickly gained a reputation for problem-solving. In his work across the U.S. and overseas he collaborated with test pilots, investigated crashes, and helped to develop systems that would advance aviation safety. Newly married, Bob and his wife headed west to join Boeing in Seattle where he continued his work in aviation and military reliability and safety engineering. Eventually he was able to transfer to a new department charged with developing a first-of-its-kind wind turbine. This set the stage for him to start his own consulting business, R. Lynette & Associates, which steered the U.S. wind energy industry throughout the 80s and 90s. Over his illustrious career he published more than 25 peer-reviewed papers, contributed to the Presidential Commission on U.S. Energy and climate change policy, coordinated the first ever renewable energy conference for the United Nations, and developed an innovative wind turbine, which earned him the Energy Pioneer award from the U.S. Department of Energy.

While Bob's career in aerospace and renewable energy was distinguished, his passion and most lasting impact was felt in his environmental work in the Pacific Northwest. A leader in the Sierra Club, the Washington Environmental Council, and founder of the Coalition Against Oil Pollution, he was instrumental in several landmark efforts. He helped lead the campaign that established the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, which protected over 320,000 acres of Washington's central Cascades. One of his proudest and most public accomplishments was spearheading the opposition of plans for a massive oil port in the Puget Sound. He organized rallies, shaped public opinion, and pressured local politicians to protect the region's waters and coastlines. The effort took years and was eventually written into law, thus preserving landscapes and ecosystems for generations to come. Later in life he helped co-found the Olympic Climate Action group which remains committed to raising public awareness, political advocacy, and grassroots action.

Bob combined technical expertise with a gift for organizing people and telling stories. As he inspired crowds, lobbied in D.C., and worked behind the scenes to build coalitions, he understood the power of persistence, integrity, and pragmatism.

Equally impressive to the professional and environmental achievements themselves was the fact he remained committed to his family throughout, sharing with them his love of the outdoors, his sense of adventure, his good-natured humor, and philosophical musings. Whether conveying his "pearls of wisdom" on backpacking trips or shepherding his family hundreds of miles through the Inside Passage on a tiny boat, life was never dull in the Lynette household. Father-daughter and father-son trips were his specialty often consisting of fishing, hiking, kayaking, and exploring, all the while sharing his zen poet philosopher musings (alas, the sound of one hand clapping eluded us all). Bob and his second wife Sue, traveled extensively for work and pleasure, spending time in India, Africa, Central and South America, Nepal, Bangladesh, Israel, and beyond. Aside from his engineering and environmental work, Bob was an avid fisherman, gardener, hiker, teacher, and remained active well into his 80s; an inspiring figure who had a profound impact on those around him and the environment he loved so much.

Bob is survived by his wife Sue Chickman; children Rachel and Ethan; grandchildren David, Lucy, Micah, Shane, and Sasha; previous wife Sue Lynette; and his extended family and many friends.

In lieu of flowers, please offer your heart-felt gift to Protect the Peninsula's Future, Olympic Park Advocates, Dungeness River Nature Center's Legacy Fund, or another charitable organization of your choice.