Robert Nichols James died peacefully at home on January 6, 2020. He was born August 6, 1934, to Howard and Virgilee James in Elmhurst, Illinois, and joined by a sister, Sandra, twelve years later. One of his fondest memories was spending summers at the lake in Wisconsin.

After graduation from High School, he went on to Purdue University for a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. Immediately after graduation from Purdue, Bob married Mary Armstrong, and together they moved to California to start his career at Rocketdyne.  After receiving his commission in the Air Force, they were stationed at Chanute Air Force Base in Illinois, where their first child, Michael was born.  Then on to Travis Air Force Base in California, where daughter Jennifer was born.  At Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, Bob received a Master's degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology – and their daughter Kathleen was born.  They were next stationed at Edwards Air Force Base where daughter Linda was born. This was followed by a PhD from Stanford University, and postings in Southern California, teaching at the US Air Force Academy, and then transferred to Vandenberg Air Force Base, the last duty station in his long Air Force career.

Soon after the move to Vandenberg, Mary died.  Four years later, Bob met and married Cynthia McLain, the wonderful woman who would be his wife for the next 41 years. Son Joe added a fifth child to the family.  After retirement from the Air Force, Bob worked at Lockheed-Martin and retired at the age of 83 from Spaceport Systems International.  He enjoyed reading, learning about science and technology, creating computer-generated drawings of the buildings where he worked over the years, as well as designing additions to their home and church – truly works of art. Bob was active for over 45 years in the First Apostolic Church of Lompoc and considered the privilege of living for God a tremendous blessing and the highlight of his life.

In addition to Mary, Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Virgilee, daughter Kathleen, son Michael and great-grandson Bret.  He is survived by his wife, Cynthia, sister Sandra Holly (Louis), daughter Jennifer James (Richard Kochansky), daughter Linda Ingram (Michael), son Joseph McLain (Kelley), 10 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

A visitation and funeral service will be held on Thursday, January 9, 2020, at the First Apostolic Church, 921 North O Street, Lompoc, California, viewing at 1pm with the funeral service at 2pm. Graveside service will follow at Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery.