Robert Arthur Mather Sr. (Bob) age 83 of Glenwood passed away on Monday June 25 2012. A memorial mass will be held 11:00 AM Sat. 06/30 at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church 319 W. Wisconsin Ave Deland. Bob was born in Norwalk Connecticut to Arthur and Elsie Mather on July 24 1928. He was the second of four children.

WWII was still going on when Bob a junior in high school convinced his parents that he would be safer as an aircraft mechanic than as an army draftee. They allowed him to quit high school. He attended Roosevelt Aviation and earned his Aircraft & Engine certification effective on his 18th birthday. By then WWII had ended.

When the Korean conflict began Bob enlisted in the Navy and was stationed at Sanford Naval Air station. During his stay in Sanford he spent his spare time restoring several airplanes he learned how to fly and he made friends with folks who lived in DeLand.

After being discharged he stopped in DeLand to say goodbye. One of his friends asked what he would be doing. He was sensitive about dropping out so he said ""I will probably go back to school in the fall."" The friend's father knew the Dean of Admission at Stetson University and the next thing he knew he was enrolling. That was January 3 1953 a day he would look back on as a life changing event. He attended Stetson for four semesters then transferred to University of Vermont where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science with a double major in math and physics.

While attending that university he rented a room from the Ploof family. He fell in love with the daughter Sally. They married on June 25 1955. Their first child Robert Jr was born on June 9 1956 the day before Bob graduated.

Bob worked for the US Air Force in Rome New York as an electronics engineer. He earned two patents for his inventions and was selected for the Scientific Achievment of the Month and of the Year at Rome Air Development Center.

During their time in Rome Bob and Sally had two more children Michael and Laurie. The family enjoyed camping and traveling skiing sailing and canoeing. They also had an amazing family project: they built a 55 foot ferro-cement sailboat in their back yard. When the children were grown Bob's and Sally's lives took different paths.

Bob met Pat in 1979 and saw her again in 1981. They became friends then fell in love. They brought the boat to Florida in the summer of 1983 then went back for the fall semester at Syracuse and married on New Year's Eve. they moved to Florida in January 1984. Bob built their new house in Ponce Inlet with Michael's help. Bob found he did not have the heart to continue on the boat so he sold it. His love of aviation was calling...

He found a Cessna that needed attention and he and Michael refurbished it and enjoyed flying it. Bob found a fly-in community in Crescent City on a lake. He and Pat built their home with a hanger for the Cessna. As certain health problems required medications frowned upon by the FAA Bob sold the Cessna and began to consider ultralights.

Bob and Pat moved to Glenwood in 2003. They bought a house on Manor Way and Bob's older son Rob installed the cherry flooring. Both Michael and Rob lent a hand on other projects. Bob had been working on building an ultralight for the past five years.

Bob is survived by his loving wife Pat sons Rob and his wife Sherry and Michael and his wife Ann daughter Laurie Marchesani and her husband Dick step daughter Kathleen Nelson and step son Wayne Wagenhals grandchildren Justin Marchesani Kara Mather Karli Mather Meagan Mather Travis Mather Alex Corea Marissa Nelson Maia Nelson and great granddaughter Abigail Marchesani brother Bill sisters Janet Martel and Carol Bedient.
Condolences may be shared with the family at www.lohmanfuneralhomes.com. Arrangements are under the careful direction of Lohman Funeral Home Deland.