On Friday, July 9, 2021, Robert Paul Hatcher passed away at the age of 68. Robert was predeceased by his father Robert and is survived by his mother Helen and his brothers Brian, Peter (wife: Pamela), Christopher (children: Charlotte, Gordon, Ella) and several cousins.
Robert was fascinated by math from an early age. It made perfect sense to him. His mother recalls that as a kindergartner he learned that a camel with one hump could go three days without water. He delighted in expanding that to two humps going six days, three humps going nine days and so on. He had a real love and affinity for math throughout his school years in Plainview and Huntington, NY. He went on to receive a BS in Mathematics from MIT and an MS and PhD in Applied Mathematics and Statistics from SUNY Stony Brook.
Robert spent his career as a Project Lead Engineer and a Principal Systems Specialist at Sperry, Unisys, Loral and Lockheed Martin. Among his accomplishments was the development of submarine navigation algorithms. During this time he pursued his love of chess by competing in industrial chess leagues. He retired to Newburyport, Massachusetts, where he enjoyed spending time with family.