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At random: "I can assure you that they went down fighting and that their brothers who survived them took a grim toll of our savage enemy to avenge their deaths." Admiral Charles Lockwood

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Coyote

Posted 2026-01-08 9:18 AM (#105854)

Master and Commander

Posts: 1362

Location: NE Florida

Subject: Thursday Obits

https://www.facebook.com/ussvi.eternalpatrol/

The above link goes to the USSVI (United States Submarine Veterans, Inc.) Facebook page where their members who have gone on “Eternal Patrol” are noted.

I’ll keep my work here going, trying to get others who were not USSVI members. You’re encouraged to look there as well as here! Obviously, there’ll be some I miss and some I duplicate.

BROWNELL .. .. .. Robert “Bob” Burton Brownell was born on September 28, 1936, in Huntsville, Alabama, to Claude Lewis Brownell and Marjorie Helen Probasco Brownell. He passed away from complications due to Parkinson’s disease on December 23, 2025. He had a distinguished career spanning government service, academia, and industry.
Bob’s father worked as the project accountant for the hydroelectric dams constructed by the Tennessee Valley Authority to bring electricity and economic development to isolated mountain communities in Appalachia. Bob, the baby of the family after his siblings Stuart Brownell, Virginia Baxter, Barbara Webster, and Helen Ledford, spent his early years in the Appalachian Mountains of Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina, where he acquired a lifelong love of camping, fishing, and hiking. He was handy with a pocket knife and shotgun, could navigate by the sun, and entertained friends, family, and even strangers playing guitar and harmonica around the campfire.
From his mother, Bob acquired a talent for painting and drawing, a favorite hobby throughout his life. His oil paintings, ink drawings, acrylics, and watercolors—depicting birds, family pets, mountain landscapes and beach scenes—adorn the homes of his loved ones. He also loved dogs, even his last dog Rocky – a headstrong Jack Russell who demanded that he wake up at 4:30am every morning.
Bob earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Duke University in 1958 through the Naval ROTC program and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy, and was among the graduates of top universities who were hand-picked by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover for his elite “Nuclear Navy,” which designed the Navy’s first nuclear submarines. Rickover pinpointed him for a leadership position and sent him for special training at the leading sites of nuclear reactor development.
Bob left the Navy at the end of his service in 1962 to pursue a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering at the University of Virginia, completed in 1964. He then worked in the atomic energy division of Babcock & Wilcox for a year, but decided that he preferred an academic career, and taught Mathematics at Lynchburg College for a year before returning to U.Va. to pursue a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics. In 1970 he completed his dissertation, “On Bounded Feedback Gain and Bounded Impulse Controls,” involving an application of control theory at the intersection of mathematics and engineering, with relevance to nuclear systems. In 1968 he joined the faculty at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where his intellectual versatility allowed him to teach mathematics, computer science, and engineering. He was an admired mentor and inspired a generation of students who were impressed by his tales of real-world experience on the cutting edge of nuclear power. He was promoted to full professor in 1980.
In 1980, Bob transitioned to the private sector when Babcock & Wilcox hired him as a senior engineer, with his first task being to evaluate the failures of the control system at Three Mile Island which had contributed to the worst-ever accident in a U.S. commercial nuclear power plant. Following his retirement in 1997, Bob and his wife Judith traveled extensively around the U.S. in an RV before settling in Florida, then Charlotte, North Carolina.
Bob is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Judith Suter Brownell, her daughters Laura Durant (and Chris) and Julia Sochacki (and Jim), and granddaughters Dasha Durant and Korry Sochacki. In recent years, Bob lived in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, with Judith and the Durant family. He is also survived by his daughters by his first wife (Claudia “Toy” Strite Brownell), Susan Brownell and Lynda Brus (and Michael); daughter-in-law Helen Brownell; and grandchildren Conor and Bridget Brownell, and Meredith and Samuel Brus. He is predeceased by his son Robert Burton Brownell, Jr.
Bob will be remembered for his intellectual curiosity, creative spirit, dad jokes, and deep love of family, learning, and nature.

BOAZ .. .. .. Donald F. Boaz, 95, of Columbus, passed away December 3, 2021 at his granddaughter's home. He was born November 21, 1926 in Columbus to the late Austin and Ida (Boone) Boaz.
He proudly served his country during World War 2 in the U.S. Navy aboard the Navy submarines. He retired from Cummins Engine Company in 1988 after 38 years in engine quality control and he was a mechanic by nature and enjoyed working on small engines.
Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Tuesday December 7, 2021 at the Jewell-Rittman Family Funeral Home with Tyler Tolbert officiating. Following the service, he will be laid to rest in Garland Brook Mausoleum with military honors provided by the Bartholomew County Veterans Honor Guard. Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home. Memorial contributions in memory of Donald may be made to Our Hospice of South Central Indiana through the funeral home. For the safety of friends and family, masking and social distancing is requested for Mr. Boaz's services.
Donald is survived by his wife of 75 years, Lillian, whom he married August 10, 1946. He is also survived by a daughter, Cindy (Stu) Stittsworth; a son Tony F. (Carla) Boaz; grandchildren, Tammy Stittsworth, Chip Stittsworth, Brandy Boaz and Tina Lynch; great-grandchildren, Addie Stittsworth, Nick McGuire, Jordan Hofelich, Zack Hofelich and Jacob Hofelich. Donald was preceded in death by his parents and 2 brothers who died in infancy.

RICH .. .. .. It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Donald Edwin Rich II on January 4, 2026, at the age of 69. Born on October 17, 1956, in Detroit, Michigan, to Donald Edwin Rich, Sr. and Eleanor Blackwell Rich. Don was raised in sunny Los Angeles, California, as the youngest of three siblings. He cherished his sisters, Diana Lynn and Dawn Louise, and carried the memory of his father, who died when Don was just twelve years old.
A true patriot, Don dedicated his life to service. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the Navy, where he experienced the world and its cultures like few ever do. After a skydiving accident while serving as a Navy Seal, Don went on to serve in the Navy’s Submarine Force. He embraced every moment of his military career. It was during a deployment in Hawaii that he met his beloved wife, Grace Lyn Reed. Their love story began on Oahu and blossomed into a life filled with adventure, laughter, and family when they married on April 1, 1983. They were later sealed in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Salt Lake Temple in May 1984, a timeless bond that defined their lives together.
Stationed at the Naval Submarine Base Bangor, Washington, Don discovered his love for the fire service when he volunteered with the Kitsap County Fire Department.
After being honorably discharged from the Navy, Don and Grace Lyn settled in Utah, where they raised their two wonderful children, Josh and Courtney. During this time, he also served his community as a volunteer firefighter/EMT with American Fork Fire Rescue and was a proud member of the Honor Guard. He continued his service to his country as an Adjudication Officer with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, where he touched the lives of many aspiring citizens over a remarkable 17-year career. He was currently serving as Treasurer of the Utah State Fire Association.
Alongside his dedication to public service, Don pursued a degree in Computer Science, Networking, and Data Communications from Utah Valley University and proudly volunteered at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. His warm spirit and friendly nature made conversations with strangers an effortless delight; he could always make babies laugh with his silly faces and infectious smile.
Don is survived by his loving wife, Grace Lyn, their children Joshua (Candice) Rich and Courtney (John) Staley, and his cherished grandsons who brought immense joy to his life: Christian Hunsaker, Jaxson Rich, Rowan Staley, and Lucus Staley. He was preceded in death by his parents, stepfather, and his sisters. He was deeply patriotic and held a profound love for his country, always honoring and respecting those who served alongside him. He was a loving husband, a proud father and grandfather, and a friend to many.

ERICKSON .. .. .. Robert “Bob” Erickson, 85, died peacefully at his home with family by his side on Sunday, December 21, 2025.
Bob was born in Hancock, Michigan on April 4, 1940 to Vernon and Marjorie (Collins) Erickson. He served his country in the US Navy until the time of his Honorable Discharge. He would later earn his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Connecticut in 1974.
Along with teaching, Bob was very involved in the Lions Club including being the District Governor for the Lions from 1989 to 1990. He loved his family and his presence will be missed.
Besides his wife, Paula (Tetreault), Bob is also survived by his daughter Sharon, his sons, Karl and John, grandchildren; Shelley, Nickolas, Andrew, Isabella, Christopher and Matthew and great-grandchildren; Henry and Alora.
…. the Groton USSVI base adds this about Bob:
Bob enlisted in the Navy in 1962. After Recruit Training and Submarine School, he reported to his first submarine USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (SSBN 598). Bob qualified in submarines in 1966. He also served on USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (SSBN 602) from 1967 to 1970. Bob was honorably discharged from the Navy as a Missile Technician Second Class in 1970.
He joined USSVI Groton Base in March 1997, and upgraded to Life Membership in December 1998 and was inducted into the prestigious Holland Club in 2016.

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