Robert Bronaugh Morrow Jr.

1934 - 2026

Robert B. Morrow, Jr. was born February 6, 1934, in St. Louis, Missouri, and died, peacefully, March 5, 2026. He was the son of the late Robert B. Morrow of St. Louis, MO and the late Miriam Wright Morrow of Clayton, MO and a beloved stepson of the late Maxine Aly Morrow of St. Louis, MO. He was predeceased by two sisters, Helen Morrow Moss (Tom, Deceased) Joplin, MO, and Barbara Morrow Braznell (Jerry, Deceased) St. Louis, MO. He is survived by his devoted wife of over 68 years, Kay Kirkland Morrow. They resided at 212 Baughmans Lane in Frederick for 47 years and then at 100 Homewood Lane since 2014.

He was an active member of St. John The Evangelist Catholic Church for fifty years before joining St. Katherine Drexel Catholic Church in 2018.

He enjoyed his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, building models and playing golf. He graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in 1957. He served 13 years in the U S Air Force and retired from the U S Department of Energy with 33 years of federal service. He was Past Grand Knight, Past Faithful Navigator and Past Color Corp Commander of the Knights of Columbus, a member of the American Legion Post 11, U S Naval Academy Alumni Assn, NRA and former member of St. Vincent de Paul Society. He enjoyed MISGA golf with the VFW County Club members for many years.

His first duty assignment in 1957 in his Air Force career was at Craig AFB near Selma, AL as Assistant Base Engineer responsible for initiating the project to obtain Capehart family housing for the base. In 1959 he was reassigned to a remote site, TUSLOG in Turkey. From Turkey he was assigned to HQ USAF Security Service in San Antonio, TX as Utilities Engineer in 1960. He obtained an MS in Nuclear Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) in 1963 and was elected to Tau Beta Pi. He started his research career in the Air Force Aero Propulsion Laboratory (AFAPL) at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. While there he became very interested in space nuclear power projects and was selected in 1966 for an assignment with the US Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) located in Germantown, MD. Bob resigned from the Air Force, effective in 1970, to become the AEC Manager of the Multi Hundred Watt Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MHW-RTG) Program. These space nuclear isotope electrical sources were flown on the DOD's LES 8 & 9 and NASA's Voyager I & II spacecrafts in 1976 and 1977. Many other later NASA missions used the same technology such as Cassini, Galileo, and New Horizons. The Voyager I & II units are still generating electrical power in deep space and are expected to produce space power into the 2030s.

Surviving are four children: Kenneth Robert Morrow (Betsy) Frederick, MD, Dr. Gregory Keith Morrow (Nicole) Gainesville, FL, Virginia Kay Morrow (Marilyn Bowman) Richmond, VA, Amy Morrow Funk (Dave Wike) Gamber, MD, and seven grandchildren: Lauren Gordon (John), Walkersville, MD, Emily Morrow (Nick Dilling) Queenstown, MD, Lindsey Dummeldinger (Tyson), Lynchburg, VA, Morgan Jordon (Eric), Destin, FL, Nicholas Morrow (Nae), St. Petersburg, FL, Christopher Morrow, Richmond, VA, and Abigail Funk, Baltimore, MD. Six great grandchildren: Harrison, Dean, Brooks, Miles, Olivia and Camille. Also surviving is one brother, Dr. Charles S Morrow (Lois) Evergreen. CO.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 pm and 7 to 9 pm on March 12 at Stauffer Funeral Home, 1621 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD 21702.

The funeral Mass will be celebrated on March 13 at 10:00 am at St, Katherine Drexel Catholic Church with Father Matt Buening officiating. Interment will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery.

In place of flowers memorial contributions may be made to St, Katherine Drexel Catholic Church, 8428 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD 21702 or to Frederick Health Hospice, 1 Frederick Health Way, Frederick, MD 21701.

Expressions of sympathy may be shared at staufferfuneralhome.com Robert Bronaugh Morrow, Jr.