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OBITUARIES
Robert
L. Bravener
July
12, 1924 - January 9, 2003
Robert L.
Bravener passed away in the early hours of January 9, 2003 at
the age of 78, after a long battle with cancer. He spent his last
day surrounded by his family.
Robert Laverne
Bravener was born July 12, 1924 and grew up in Fowlerville, Michigan.
On graduation from high school in 1941, he immediately joined
the United States Navy. During World War II, Robert served onboard
the destroyer escort USS Rueben James and participated in campaigns
with the North Atlantic convoy fleet. He was awarded the Bronze
Star after being wounded in action against enemy aircraft.
After the
war, Robert continued to serve his country and transferred to
the U.S. Army Air Corps, which later became the U.S. Air Force.
His first assignments were involved in establishing the early
warning radar systems in the first days of the Cold War.
It was while
stationed in North Battleford, Saskatchewan that he met and married
Kathaleen Margaret Carin, January 1, 1948. RobertÕs Air Force
career spanned the next 20 years and he served in diverse locations
around the world including flying hazardous duty tours over Korea,
Vietnam and Red China during the early 60s. Robert retired from
the U.S. Air Force in 1963 shortly after the Cuban missile crisis,
but did not stop flying. He continued his career with the Federal
Aviation Agency in Miami, Florida and flew throughout the Caribbean
and South America.
Robert was
able to weather the downswing in the aerospace business as a truck
owner/driver and a time in commercial foods. Robert continued
his aerospace career as a controller at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
in Pasadena, California. At JPL Robert was involved in the first
soft moon landing with the Surveyor Project and the deep space
Voyager probes.
Continued
space assignments brought Robert next to the Apollo projects where
as a senior controller he participated on all the Apollo flights.
After Apollo, Robert spent time at the Barking Sands missile range
in Hawaii, as manager of the missile tracking ship USS Wheeler
supporting missile launches out of Vandenberg AFB and as a manager
at the Transportation Test Center in Pueblo, Colorado.
It was during
1973, that Robert and Kathaleen Bravener first established residence
in Point Roberts. Robert spent the last 10 years of his career
in Saudi Arabia where he flew as a contractor in support of the
Saudi government, aiding them in development of their commercial
aviation industry. Robert finally retired shortly after the Gulf
War and returned home to rejoin his wife as a permanent resident
of Point Roberts at 1976 Wellington Road.
Not being
one to sit idly by, Robert continued in his life time role in
public service with positions in many capacities around Point
Roberts, including commissioner with the Boy Scouts, setting up
the first Point Roberts website and winning a seat on the fire
commission.
Robert leaves
his wife of 55 years Kathaleen; son and daughter-in-law, Lee and
Jo Bravener of Point Roberts; grandson Trevis Bravener of Ferndale;
grandson Sean Bravener of Long Beach, California; granddaughter
Tabatha Gault of Point Roberts; Kelly Gross of Tampa, Florida;
plus his great-grandchildren Dennis, Robert, and Kelsey Gault,
Christopher and Mairi Bravener and Richard Gross.
With RobertÕs
many responsibilities; son, brother, husband, father, grandfather,
great-grandfather and friend Š he will be missed.
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