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Tribute by Tom Sander added May 31, 2013:
A Celebration of the Life of Robert A. Highbarger
Fourteen WMS members (including six past presidents) and spouses attended the Celebration of Life organized by the family of the late Robert Highbarger at Pumphrey's Bethesda-Chevy Chase Funeral Home in Bethesda Maryland on May 30, 2013. Bob had died on May 23. He was president of the Washington Map Society from 1983-1984 and also from 1995-1996, and served also as Vice President twice and several times as WMS Board Member. Bob also contributed much to The Portolan: three articles (issues 36, 37, and 69), two meeting summaries (issues 15 and 26), reviews of two books (issues 41 and 64), and a membership spotlight (issue 65). The standing-room only event amazed the family who appreciated the friends who attended from many facets of Bob’s life. The event was led by Bob’s English-born son-in-law who described with seriousness and humor much of Bob’s life. Often mentioned was Bob’s love of antique maps, and his and wife Ginny’s love of travel and adventure. Those travels took him around the world, often to conferences and meeting held by map societies. The service included an impromptu presentation by WMS charter member (and WMS VP and Secretary) Jeanne Young, who identified herself as a member of the WMS and delivered humorous remembrances of Bob.
ROBERT A. HIGHBARGER, twice president of the Washington Map Society from 1983 -1984 and from 1995-1996, died of complications from bone cancer May 23, 2013. He was 84. Bob was born in Muscatine, IA in 1929, got his B.A. from Northwestern University and his M.S. from University of Iowa. He was recruited by the NSA where he worked 35 years as a cryptologist, rising to the rank of section chief. He married his High School (and Junior High School) sweetheart, Virginia G. (Ginnie) Isaacs and moved to the Washington, DC area; spending brief periods abroad in Germany and later in England.
He contributed the following membership spotlight for the Spring 2006 issue of The Portolan;
BOB HIGHBARGER: Cartographic interests: The study of the history and development of cartography from the beginning of the 16th to the mid 18th century. Ginnie and I collect maps and atlases from that period (and later on occasions), compendia of travels and voyages, globes, 19th century school geographies, and cartographic ephemera such as games, puzzles, stamps, cartographic curiosities, anything with maps on it. Professional background: I have a B.S. (mathematics) Northwestern and M.S. (mathematics) University of Iowa. I spent 34 years as a mathematician, cryptologist, and senior executive at NSA with tours in Germany (1954-1957) and England (1973-1976), where I served as Senior United States Liaison Officer to the British Foreign Office Intelligence Organization and started collecting maps. After my retirement from government service, I spent seven years at Cray Research. Comments: I have been fortunate enough to serve twice as president of the Washington Map Society and as President of the Society for the History of Discoveries (SHD). I currently am a member of the Steering Committee of the Phillips Society and IMCoS International Representative for the Eastern U.S.
DEATH NOTICE in the Washington Post, May 29, 2013
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?n=robert-a-highbarger&pid=165015897&fhid=2159#fbLoggedOut
ROBERT A. HIGHBARGER
On Thursday, May 23, 2013 of Potomac, MD following a lengthy hospital stay. Bob was born in Muscatine, IA in 1929, got his B.A. from Northwestern University and his M.S. from University of Iowa. He was recruited by the NSA where he worked 35 years as a cryptologist, rising to the rank of section chief. He married his High School (and Junior High School) sweetheart, Virginia G. Isaacs and moved to the Washington, DC area; spending brief periods abroad in Germany and later in England. Bob was also a Map enthusiast and past president of the Washington Map Society.
He is the beloved husband of 65 years to Ginny; loving father of Cynthia Obermaier, Lynn Roberts and her husband, Gordon, and Lane Highbarger and his wife, Helene; cherished grandfather of Natalie Obermaier, Phillip and Megan Roberts and Anders and Jeroen Highbarger.
A celebration of Bob's life will be held at PUMPHREY'S BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE FUNERAL HOME, 7557 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD on Thursday, May 30 at 1 p.m. Interment private. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Bob's name may be made to The American Cancer Society 801 Roeder Road, Suite 800 Silver Spring, MD 20910. Please vew and sign the family guest book at www.pumphreyfuneralhome.com
Obituary in the Washington Post, May 29, 2013:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/robert-a-highbarger-nsa-cryptologist/2013/05/28/a481e010-c7b5-11e2-9f1a-1a7cdee20287_story.html
Robert A. Highbarger, NSA cryptologist
May 28, 2013 07:48 PM EDT
The Washington Post
Published: May 28
Robert A. Highbarger, 84, a cryptologist who retired from the National Security Agency in 1985, died May 23 of complications from bone cancer at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda. He lived in Potomac.
His son, Lane Highbarger, confirmed his death.
For seven years after retiring from the NSA, Mr. Highbarger was a customer consultant for Cray Inc., which develops supercomputers.
Robert Allen Highbarger was born in Muscatine, Iowa. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1950 and received a master’s degree in mathematics at the University of Iowa in 1951. He served in the Army from 1954 to 1957. He then worked at the NSA until 1985, including postings in Germany and England.
He was a former president of the Washington Map Society.
Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Virginia G. Isaacs Highbarger of Potomac; three children, Cynthia Obermaier of Arnold, Lynn Roberts of Bowie and Lane Highbarger of Silver Spring; and five grandchildren.
— Bart Barnes
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