Rolf Kasper

Old Lyme — Rolf G. Kasper, 73, passed away peacefully Saturday, April 30, 2016, at Connecticut Hospice in Branford after a long illness.

Born in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, on June 11, 1942, he immigrated to the United States at the age of 12, becoming a standout athlete in soccer, basketball and baseball in Stratford. Attending Union College on athletic scholarships, he earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. Graduate studies at Georgia Tech lead to a master of science degree and further studies at Yale, where he received his Ph.D. in 1971.

He began his career in New London, at the Naval Underwater Systems Center, developing expertise in material science, computer simulation and electromagnetics. He was an author on numerous papers and inventor on more than a half dozen patents. Recognized for his contributions throughout his career, he was especially proud of the Presidential Rank Award in 2004, the Decibel Award in 2006 and the Robert Dexter Conrad Award in 2007.

He enjoyed reading, art and painting and was an avid sports fan.

Rolf is survived by his wife of 49 years, Mariana; sons, Kent and his wife, Katrin, and their children, Grant and Grace of Lee, N.H., and Craig of Old Lyme; half-brother, Hans-Joachim of Germany; and seven nieces and four nephews.

He was predeceased by his mother and father.

A funeral service will be held 1 p.m. on Friday, May 6, at the Robinson, Wright & Weymer Funeral Home, 34 Main St., in Centerbrook. Burial will follow in the Duck River Cemetery in Old Lyme.

Memorial contributions in his name may be made to Connecticut Hospice, 100 Double Beach Road, Branford, CT 06405.

To share a memory of Rolf or send a condolence to his family, please visit www. rwwfh.com.