Robert Lamb (“Bob”) died at home in Silver Spring, Md., and entered eternal life on the morning of May 28, 2020. He was 83, and had been battling cancer and other illnesses for many years.
Bob was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on Oct. 10, 1936, and was the second child and only son of Robert and May O’Horo Lamb. He graduated from St. Mungo’s Catholic School, and went on to higher studies, graduating with degrees in marine mechanical and electrical production engineering from Paisley Tech College and the Stow College Division of the Royal College of Science and Engineering. He received his chief engineers license for steam diesel and gas turbine ships during that time. He worked for five years in the Lobnitz Shipyards in Glasgow before coming to America to work as a plant engineer for a division of Norton Abrasives in Troy, N.Y., in 1962. Shortly after arriving in America, he met the love of his life, Virginia (“Ginny”) Mary Gravesen, at the Scottish Games, and they were married on Oct. 5, 1963.
Bob went to work for the General Electric Corp. in 1966, putting his extensive knowledge of mechanical and electrical engineering to work in their turbine divisions. Bob and Ginny lived in Leominster, where they welcomed their first two children, Iain and Margaret, before being relocated in 1972 to the San Francisco Bay Area, where they lived in Moraga, Calif., and welcomed their youngest son, Roderick.
Bob was the service manager for GE’s marine engine division in San Francisco until 1979, when he was asked to relocate the family to Geneva, Switzerland, to join GE’s newly formed european naval and aircraft engine division. A few years later, the family returned to the U.S., to Cincinnati, Ohio, where Bob worked at GE’s headquarters in Evendale.
Bob and Ginny and their family fell in love with Martha’s Vineyard during summer vacations, and purchased a summer and future retirement home in Oak Bluffs in 1985, when Bob was asked to move to Toulouse, France, to Airbus Industries headquarters as GE’s general manager of sales and advanced technology.
He officially retired from GE in 1998, after 32 years of service, and moved permanently to the family’s home on Martha’s Vineyard.
An avid collector of marine art, ship models, and scrimshaw, he and Ginny became partners with the owner of Edgartown Scrimshaw, and helped expand the store on Main Street selling marine-themed art, scrimshaw, and other collectibles. He was also actively involved in historical preservation efforts, and worked on the restoration project for the SS Nobska Ferry that had served Martha’s Vineyard for many years.
In 2005, Bob and Ginny moved to the Ticonderoga, N.Y., area in Putnam Station for health reasons, and to be closer to his two sisters, who also lived in the area. Bob was a member of the Knights of Columbus, and numerous professional societies. He gave many lectures on historical events and marine history throughout his retirement. As his health conditions worsened, he and Ginny moved to Leisure World in Silver Spring, Md., in 2019 to be closer to their oldest son to help them out while he awaited his final move to eternal life.
Bob was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend, and was a devout Roman Catholic all of his life. He made friends everywhere he went, and always left a lasting impression. He was very proud of his Scottish heritage, and played the bagpipes and drums in bands in his younger years.
Bob is survived by his wife, Virginia, of nearly 57 years, his daughter Margaret, and his two sons, Iain and his wife Padmaja, and Roderick and his wife Tali. He is also survived by his two sisters, Margaret Carroll and Sheila Lamb, as well as his four grandchildren, Iain’s daughters, Sarina and Marisa, and Rod’s son and daughter, Finneas, and Orianna.
His final wishes were to be cremated and his remains kept in a container with the engraving, “Dear Lord, this is Scottie! Please beam me ‘UP’!”
A remembrance of his life and memorial service will be held for him with his family and close friends at a later date.
