Robert H. “Bob” Smith, 83, of Bainbridge Island, died in his sleep on March 28 with family beside him, in the home that he and his wife, Rachel, built on the site of the historic Hall Brothers’ Shipyard on Port Blakely.

He was born on Oct. 8, 1924 in Seattle, the son of Fred A. an Margaret Smith. Following his father’s employment trail during the Great Depression, Bob attended elementary schools in Okanogan, Omak and Shelton, gaining lifelong skills of independence, resourcefulness and frugality from his father.

Bob graduated as salutatorian from Kirkland High School in 1942 and earned bachelors’ and masters’ degrees in Aeronautical Engineering at the University of Washington.

He met Rachel Crawford, his wife of 60 years, while they attended the UW. The Smiths kept their toes in the water, from their first home in an auto court at the beach in Edmonds to a Portage Bay houseboat, a Shaw Island beach camp and homes on Chesapeake Bay and, since 1970, on Blakely’s north shore. Sailing, rowing, and beach combing, Bob navigated the Chesapeake, Puget Sound, and in his career, the solar system.

After several years’ work in the UW Aeronautical Engineering wind tunnel, Bob went to Boeing in 1954. Lunar Orbiter and Apollo missions led to the first human steps on the Moon and were among Bob’s most memorable projects. The Orbiter team he led resulted in detailed lunar maps and the first photo of the Earth from the Moon. His Boeing career took him to the Pasadena, Calif. Jet Propulsion Lab and to Houston, Tex., Washington, D.C.; Dayton, Ohio; and to Florida. He retired in 1985.

He enjoyed creative projects, local history and the camaraderie of friends and neighbors. His brilliance, logic, careful reasoning and creative insights were enjoyed by many. His thoughtfulness was felt by all in civic groups including Bainbridge Island Concerned Citizens, Reclaim Our Waterfront, Harbor Stewards, and Group Health governance. In recent years, he enjoyed the weekly men’s breakfast programs and discussions of contemporary issues held at Eagle Harbor Congregational Church. He strove to make people aware of the possibility for solar power satellites to answer energy needs. Bob was an ardent defender of the Public Trust Doctrine, public access to the shoreline and creation of a community boatyard. Bob is survived by his wife Rachel; sons Nathan of Seattle and Toby of Corvallis, Ore.; daughter Audrey Nickell of Los Gatos, Calif.; and six grandchildren.

A celebration of Bob’s life will be announced at a later date. Remembrances can be made to Hospice, the Bainbridge Island Land Trust or a charity of the donor’s choice.