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(Jay was known as Bob after he got out of the airforce) The Greenville L-3 family was saddened by the death of Robert "Bob" Ely, a senior test engineer, this Saturday, August 2nd. Visitation services will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10 at Rest Haven Funeral Home, 3701 Rowlett Road, Rowlett, Texas. Bob was born Aug. 8, 1961, in Lincoln, Neb., to Jimmie Edwards and Eleanor Helen Ely. Bob had served in the United States Air Force for nine years and worked at the Greenville site since 1989. Bob had been a test engineer at the Multi-Sensor Facility for much of his time and transferred to TRS Business Management in early 2007. The Greenville site was a big part of Bob's life. His father served as customer affiliate for the Air Force here and his brother, Jim, works here as a senior test engineer. Bob met his wife, Melissa - a systems engineer, at work in 1996. Bob died from a brain tumor that he was diagnosed with five years ago. He took a medical leave of absence in late 2007. Melissa said she wanted his friends to know he died peacefully, noting, "He had a soft landing." Long-time friend Charlie Baucom said Bob was always thinking about the customer and making sure "those guys were ready for the flight." He recalled how just a few days after his brain surgery he was impatient from waiting on a part. "There he was dragging this 65- or 75-pound piece of metal down Buehring [Avenue]," Charlie said. "That was how Bob was." Bobby Bearden, Bob's supervisor, said he met first met Bob last year, but was impressed by his determination in overcoming soon after being diagnosed. "He has had a tremendous impact on my personal life in terms of admiration for his courage and dedication to family and friends," Bobby said. "Many of us think of L-3 as a family and this was especially true for Bob. He put his heart into his years here and it showed in his commitment to his customers, his friends and his family," said Jack Cooke, Greenville Site Executive. "He will be missed." "The last year of his life was good and the things that weren't good he looked at in a positive way," Melissa said. "He was so disciplined and determined - and he got that from his dad. He always kept coming back ... He was a tough guy." Funeral services will take place beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 11 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 3905 Hickox Road in Rowlett. Interment will be at 1 p.m. at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway in Dallas. |
