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Robert Amsler Obituary

Robert Alfred Amsler passed away on August 12, 2025. Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, on August 23, 1944, he graduated from the prestigious Bronx High School of Science. Robert earned a BS in Mathematics, cum laude, from Florida Atlantic University, an MS degree in Mathematics and Computer Science from the Courant Institute, New York University, and a PhD in Computer Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin. Robert was a computational lexicologist, a computational linguist, and an information scientist. After his time in Austin, he worked at SRI (Stanford Research Institute), Bellcore (Bell Labs) and the MITRE Corporation. He ended his career at the U.S. Department of Energy, where he worked on projects to develop automated declassification software for documents and to design a history knowledge base for DOE's nuclear weapons program.
After retirement, Robert spent most of his time in his residence in the Town of Vienna, Virginia. His love of libraries led him to become involved as a volunteer curator for Vienna's first public library, now known as the Little Library Museum. He created a detailed inventory of the more than 5,500 books still there as well as an inventory of what he called "ghost books". A large part of this effort was figuring out how the volunteer librarians organized the books, using a catalog system nothing like any librarians anywhere have ever created. He compiled a comprehensive history of the site, repaired some of the damaged books, and took photos of beautiful book jackets. He taught families about the Little Library and made presentations for Historic Vienna, all in an effort to make sure that the story of the Little Library was preserved forever. Also, he always wanted to have someone examine the books from a literary point of view and analyze what the collection tells us about the reading preferences of early Vienna residents. In 2017, on the occasion of the Little Library's 120th Anniversary, Robert received the Town of Vienna Volunteer Recognition Award which read: "In honor of your service to the community as an outstanding volunteer who has generously and enthusiastically given your time and resources to assist others."
It is not surprising that Robert was so well-known by many throughout his neighborhood. He walked or cycled everywhere, never having owned a car. He believed strongly in environmental conservation and was an avid recycler. He loved the outdoors, the birds, and his azaleas. He spent many hours happily tending to his neighbors' yards, often at the expense of his own, mowing lawns, raking leaves, and picking up twigs and branches. Robert was pre-deceased by his parents, J. Homer and Anna R. Amsler. He will be buried next to them in Boca Raton, Florida. He is survived by his neighbors, friends, and colleagues who will remember him fondly for his brilliant mind, joyful spirit, and gentle heart. No services at this time.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Washington Post on Oct. 19, 2025.

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