Robert Lester Kelly, 97, died, June 10th, 2021. Bob retired from Newport News Shipbuilding in 1991 after working in its engineering, nuclear power, production, planning, and finance divisions. He came to the shipyard in 1960 from the Navy Department where he pioneered the development of the Polaris Ballistic Missile Weapon System and was awarded the Navy’s Superior Civilian Service Award for that work.

Bob received his education in naval architecture and marine engineering at Webb Institute of Naval Architecture. He was named an Alfred P. Sloan Fellow by Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1957 and received his Science Master’s Degree in Industrial Management from MIT the following year.

Bob was Chairman of the Chesapeake Section in Washington, D. C. and the Hampton Roads Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. He presented papers locally and nationally to this Society and was given its Distinguished Service Award and Chairman’s Award.

Bob served as Director, President, and Chairman of the Newport News Pulse Development Corporation. He also chaired the Newport News Parking Authority and was a member of the Steering Committee of People to People. Through the CNU LifeLong Learning Society he learned to write poetry and prose that was regularly published. With George Tsirimokos, and others, Bob helped found the Theatre Guild at Christopher Newport University and the Guild’s Premier Entering Freshman Scholarship is named for Bob. He also served on the Advisory Board of the CNU Writers’ Conference and Writing Contest and was a season subscriber to the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and Opera.

An active member of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Bob headed its Evangelism Committee for many years, served on the Diocese of Southern Virginia’s Evangelism, and Anti-Racism Commissions.

A native of Tacoma, Washington, Bob served in the U. S. Navy during World War II. He is survived by his wife, Peggy Topping Kelly, four sons: Peter Haslett Kelly, of Newport News, Joel Topping Kelly of Newport News, Christopher Lester Kelly of Gainesville, Virginia, and Timothy Michael Kelly of Newport News; two sisters: Kathleen Marie Winters of the Santa Maria Ranch in Nevada and Patricia Jean Brown of Bellevue, Washington; and four grandchildren: Caitlin Elizabeth Kelly, Paul Wayne Simpson Jr., Katherine Elizabeth Kelly, and Ashley Marie Kelly.

A memorial service will be conducted at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church at 2:00 PM, on June 21st. Memorials to St. Andrew’s or your favorite charity are requested instead of flowers.

People attending the memorial service who have not been vaccinated are requested to wear masks, but wearing a mask is optional.

Cremation Society of Virginia-Newport News assisted the family with arrangements.