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Robert David Tompkins, 90, of Jefferson, Maine, died of heart failure on March 28, 2017 at Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta. He was born on July 27, 1926, son of Herbert Ross and Helen Florence Tompkins of Hawthorne, New Jersey. After graduating from Bogota, New Jersey High School in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy, trained as a radar technician, and served aboard the USS Rogers (DD876). He enrolled at Case Institute of Technology upon discharge from the Navy, and received the degree of BSEE in 1950.

He joined the staff of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. as an electrical engineer in the Radar Division. There he met his wife-to-be, Martha G. Bond, daughter of Willis and Ruth Bond of Jefferson, Maine. They married in 1952. With the exception of a two-year sojourn in Chile where he was the electrical engineer in an open pit iron mine in El Tofo. Bob remained at NRL until his retirement in 1980. While at NRL, he authored many papers on radar techniques, components and systems. In 1976 he was detailed as a radar expert to support the United States delegation to the World Administrative Radio Conference held in Geneva in 1979. He was head of the engineering support group to the delegation.

While residing in Washington, Bob was active in community affairs. He was the president of the parents group at the Academy of Notre Dame, was a member of the St. Francis Xavier Parish Council, he helped organize a parents group for the St. Francis Parish school, and served on the Consumer Utility Board (a public interest group concerned with DC utility rates) where he was chairman of the Technical Committee. Community involvement continued after his retirement to Maine. He was moderator of the Jefferson Town Meeting for 5 years, served as dispatcher and treasurer for the Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department, was chairman of the town planning board, volunteered as an attendant at the Jefferson Public Library, and was also treasurer of the Bond Burying Ground Association. In addition, he was a member of the St. Denis Parish Council and served for 4 years as a parish bookkeeper. He was a member of the Jefferson Historical Society and the Jefferson Public Library.

After living in Maine for a few years, he developed an interest in local history. The fruits of his interest were a history of the Bond Burying Ground followed by a 50th anniversary history of the Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department. His historical work culminated in a series of 4 papers on gores, grants and boundaries in Northern Lincoln County at the turn of the nineteenth century. They dealt with the Lincoln Academy land grant, Jefferson’s boundary at the time of its charter, the mystery of Waldoboro’s northern boundary and the creation, discovery, and establishing the boundaries of Hibbert’s Gore.

Bob is survived by his wife of 65 years, the former Martha Bond, by two daughters, Ann Liburt of Jefferson, Maine and Marilyn Tompkins of Jackman, Maine, by three sons, Steven Tompkins of Glenn Dale, MD, Andrew Tompkins of Leesburg, VA and Richard Tompkins of Plano, TX, seven grandchildren and one great granddaughter.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, April 3, 2017 at the First Baptist Church of Jefferson at 1:00 p.m., Reverend Bette Bond officiating. Interment will be held at a later date in the Bond Burying Ground, Jefferson, Maine.

Hall’s of Waldoboro has care of the arrangements. To extend online condolences, please visit www.hallfuneralhomes.com.