From a contemporary press report
Retired Navy Captain Robert K. “Rab” Irvine, 85, of Annapolis and previously of Seattle, Wash., died of congestive heart failure November 3, 2000, at his home.
Born May 29, 1915, in San Francisco, California, Captain Irvine attended Stanford University and graduated from the Naval Academy in 1938. He received a master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
A veteran of World War II, he commanded the USS Canberra during the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960s. His tours of duties took him to many places including Europe, Asia and Bermuda.
He retired from the Navy in 1968 after serving for 30 years and then moved to Seattle for a second career as an engineer for Boeing, where he designed hydrofoils.
A resident of Annapolis for 20 years, he was a member of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church and enjoyed classical music and art.
His wife, Mary Irvine, died in October 1985.
Surviving are two sons, Tim Irvine of Austin, Texas, and John Irvine of Boston, Mass.; one brother, George Irvine of Issaquah, Wash.; one sister, Janet Holsinger of San Francisco; and two grandchildren.
Funeral services will be at noon Thursday at St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Church Circle. Burial will follow at 3 p.m. in Arlington National Cemetery. Arrangements are by Taylor Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to United Thank Offering, 815 Second St., New York, NY 10017-4594.
Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.
Reviewed by: Michael Howard