lit a candle 4h agoMy dad worked at the yard too, different building than Busic but same years. Watched the moon landing on our neighbor's TV not knowing men like him made it happen. 88 is a good long run.
Their story
Robert Franklin "Bob" Busic, an engineer whose four decade career helped build some of the most significant machines of the American space and naval programs, died on October 23, 2026, at the age of 88. He had lived for many years in Hayes, Virginia, after growing up in the mountains…
Robert Franklin "Bob" Busic, an engineer whose four decade career helped build some of the most significant machines of the American space and naval programs, died on October 23, 2026, at the age of 88. He had lived for many years in Hayes, Virginia, after growing up in the mountains of Alleghany County, North Carolina.
Busic was born on October 15, 1938, and grew up in Sparta, North Carolina. He graduated from Alleghany High School in 1956, where classmates voted him "Most Popular," and went on to earn an engineering degree from North Carolina State University in 1961. That degree opened the door to a career that would place him at the center of two of the twentieth century's biggest engineering undertakings.
His first posts took him to the Naval Ordnance Base in Indian Head, Maryland, and then to McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked on projects tied to the Apollo Space Program during the race to the Moon. He later moved to Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia, where he spent 35 years as an engineer helping design submarines and aircraft carriers, including service on the team that worked on the USS Seawolf, SSN-21. Across both chapters of his career, those who worked alongside him have remembered him for his technical skill, his dedication, and the quiet pride he took in work that served the country.
Outside of engineering, Busic was described by his family as a devoted Christian and a gifted musician who shared his love of music throughout his life. He was remembered as a husband, father, and grandfather who valued faith, patience, and hard work, and who was known among those who knew him for simple kindness.
Busic died peacefully on October 23, 2026. His death was announced through an obituary published by Hogg Funeral Home and Crematory, which is handling his arrangements. A visitation has been scheduled for October 27 at the Chapel of Hogg Funeral Home in Hayes, Virginia. At this early stage, no cause of death has been made public, and further details about survivors and services are expected to follow as the family shares them.
Biography adapted from News reports and the sources cited on this page; death reported by Legacy | Obituary.
My uncle was at Newport News same era, small world