ROBERT RIKER Jr.

1931 - 2019

ROBERT J. RIKER Jr.  January 25, 1931 - April 25, 2019  
Robert J. Riker, 88, Chevy Chase, MD died at Suburban Hospital/Johns Hopkins after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife, Diane, three children Alissa (Greg Pless) of San Francisco, CA, Caroline (Robert Neubauer) of Arlington, VA., Robert (Leslie) of Sewickley, PA, and two grandsons, Carson Riker and Wyatt Riker. He was born in New York City and spent his first five years in Havana, Cuba. He attended public schools in Delray Beach FL and West Orange NJ and the Portsmouth Priory, RI. In 1955, he volunteered for the draft. He was on active duty with the Signal Corps as a member of Counter Intelligence for two and one half years. He trained members of the ROTC at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ where he earned a degree in engineering management. In 1956, the Army, concerned about trans-Hudson security, had him accept a job as electrician at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Upon his discharge as captain in 1957, he joined the Port Authority's Operations' Management Office, and spent the next 30 years spearheading computer simulation techniques for evaluating facility operations. He retired at 55 as director of engineering for ferry services and formed his own transportation management consulting firm. He served on volunteer panels of the National Academy of Sciences. The family lived for 39 years in Rumson, NJ, moving south in 2011.Transportation issues were never far from his mind and he was a vocal opponent of the Purple Line, believing its background research flawed.A Memorial Mass will be held May 2 at 11:30 a.m. at 8100 Connecticut, Chevy Chase, MD.