Robert Anthony "Bob" Hatch

Robert Anthony Hatch was born July 12th, 1929 in Queens, New York to Winfield Scott Hatch and Josephine Sklenka Hatch, the second of three children. He died in Battle Creek, Michigan on August 6th, 2016 at age 87. He passed peacefully in the presence of his children.

Robert grew up in Astoria, Queens, and graduated from Brooklyn Tech High School, a child fascinated with airplanes and running. He received academic and athletic scholarships to New York University, where he earned his B.S.in Mechanical Engineering in 1951. He was a 3 year letterman for the track team as a 200 and 400 meter high and low hurdler and the mile relay. He was the captain of the team his senior year. He was also in the Air Force R.O.T.C. program and after graduation, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, stationed at Lowry Air Field in Denver, Colorado. He then was assigned to Wright Patterson Air Base in Dayton, Ohio, where he worked with leading German engineers that had fled Nazi Germany. He reached the rank of 1st Lieutenant, mustering out after 4 years of service in 1953.
He married Jean Mildred Paul in November of 1951. He was invited to the Olympic try-outs in 1952, but had other obligations with a new family and military commitments.

With his life-long love of airplanes, he used his engineering degree to specialize in research and development for fuel controls in gas turbine engines, most specifically for helicopters. He was employed by the leading manufacturers of these engines. He also took part in gas turbine engines for military tanks and MACK and Ford Truck Division. He has several patents.

His career started with Westinghouse in Philadelphia and took him to General Electric in Lynn, Massachusetts, then to Avco-Lycoming in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Garrett Air Research in Phoenix, Arizona and Boca Raton, Florida. After an early retirement in 1984, he started his own consulting business which took him to Indianapolis. He fully retired at age 62 in 1991. He gave it up as he was not enthralled with the new computer generation—he preferred to be a slide-rule head!

Robert, known lovingly by his children as Pops, loved salt water surf-cast fishing, and was an avid reader of history and anything about aeronautics. Although Pops worked in many places, his family resided in Stratford, Connecticut for 11 years, and the kids always felt like that was home. When Pops and Mom moved to Boca Raton in 1977, their home became a wonderful retreat for the kids and grandkids to come and relax and enjoy what Florida had to offer. Pops, a New Yorker to the core, knew that Florida was the only place he would consider living in his later years. After Mom died in 2011, Pops relocated to Battle Creek to be closer to family, although it was tough leaving Florida for Michigan winters!

Robert was pre-deceased by his parents; two brothers, Alan and Scott; his wife of 59 years, Jean; and his son-in-law, James Herman. He is survived by his 4 children; Christopher (Betsy) of Milford, CT; Jonathan (Candace) of Boise, ID; Claire Herman of Westport, CT; and Jennifer (Michael) Kijek of Battle Creek, MI. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren; Josh (Megan) Hatch, Katie Hatch (Ian) Birkett; Alexis Herman(Christopher) Stephens, Jonathan Herman; Michelle Kijek(Todd) Goetsch, Amanda Kijek (Josh) Adams, and Charles Kijek; and 7 great-grandchildren.

A committal service where military honors will be bestowed by the Ft. Custer and the U.S. Air Force Honor Guards will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, September 2, 2016 at Ft. Custer National Cemetery, Augusta, MI.

Memorial contributions may be made to Battle Creek VA Medical Center Community & Volunteer Service for Personal Care Items, 5500 Armstrong Rd., Battle Creek, MI 49015. Personal messages for the family may be placed here at www.farleyestesdowdle.com. Arrangements are by Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Home & Cremation Care.