Robert Springer was born in Fort Smith Arkansas in July 1923.  The family moved to Los Angeles in 1939, where he graduated from a technical high school specializing in Aeronautical Drafting.  After graduating he worked at a shipyard in San Pedro Ca. as a draftsman in the engineering department.

In 1943 he enlisted in the Air Cadet program, and after several months was called to active duty for pilot training.  Ultimately he was rated as a B-17 pilot and flew 35 combat missions with the 8th Air Force in England from October 1944 to March 1945.  Following his combat tour he transitioned to flying the C-54, and flew the Atlantic run to Europe until 1946.  He was discharged from active duty in 1947 and completed a 2 year Aeronautical Engineering program at Northrup Institute of Technology in Los Angeles under the GI Bill.  He was married to Beverly Alleshouse in 1948.  After graduation he worked at Douglas Aircraft, with most of that work involving the X-3 experimental aircraft.  In 1951 he was called back to active duty, flying C-54s from McChord AFB WA to Japan.  In 1953 he was selected to fly B-29s with the newly established Air Resupply Corp.  These flew in support of Army Special Forces in Europe and Japan.  He and his Squadron transferred to England in 1955, where he remained until the program was discontinued in 1957.  At that time he transferred Ramstein AFB Germany where he served as the Base Operations Officer.  Following this tour, in 1960 he transferred to Lowry AFB CO, also in base operations.  In 1963, his final assignment was as Commander of the Air Force recruiting area headquarters in Charlotte NC.  He retired from active duty as a Lt. Col. in July 1966 with 23 years of service with included 4 years of reserve time from 1947 to 1951. 

Having completed his 4 year Aeronautical Engineering degree, he went to work at Edward AFB in 1967 at which time the family moved to Lancaster CA.  His initial work was in the rotary wing dept., after which he also worked on the F-5, Air Launched Cruise Missile, YC-14 and several other programs.  He retired from Edwards in 1985. 

Robert was preceded in death by his wife Beverly in April 2006.  In Oct 2013 Robert was in a car accident in Lancaster CA, and succumb to his injuries a week after that accident.  He is survived by son David, grandson Robert, granddaughter Lindsey and great grandchildren Maddox and Mason.  A long and rewarding life lived well.