Robert A. Sulit, Capt. USNR, (Ret.)

DEL MAR — Captain Robert A. Sulit, USNR, Ret., passed away at home of natural causes. He was born in Washington, DC, to Christine Sinclair and Capt. Mariano Sulit, Philippine Scouts, USA. He moved to Ft. Stotsenburg, Philippines, with his parents in 1928. His mother died and his father remarried to Estela Romualdez. He was a big brother to Mario and Rodi, who predeceased him. He married Audrey Montgomery, who died in 2006.

In 2008, he married Shelly Lavinsky and enjoyed many adventures shooting photography in our National Parks and around the world in their 12 years of marriage.

Robert served in the Army in World War

II in the European Theatre of Operation. In 2015, he received the Congressional Bronze Star Medal for his World War II service. In 2017, he received the French Legion of Honor medal,

Knight, for WWII Service in France.

After the war, he attended the University of San Francisco, majoring in Physics and Math. Robert worked in Civil Service at the Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, San Francisco, CA; Naval Undersea Warfare Center, San Diego, CA; David Taylor Model Basin, Bethesda, MD; and Science Advisor to the Commander, Naval Surface Force, Pacific, retiring as a GS-15 in 1981. He received the Civil Service Meritorious Award for the development of Navy nuclear defense doctrine.

He received Naval Reserve LTJG Commission in 1953, retiring as a

CAPT in 1985. In 1986, he received the Navy Commendation Medal for advancing the use of thermal spray technology in the Pacific Fleet.

He will be remembered as a man of few words who had a great sense of humor and was loved by his wife Shelly, his niece Myra Sulit Pelowski (Brian, Michelle, and Melissa), as well as his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and nephews. He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation in his name to Alzheimer’s San Diego at 6632 Convoy Court, S.D., CA 92111.