Robert E. "Bob" Mack, 79

Robert E. “Bob” Mack, 79, a 20-year resident of Annapolis, MD and previously of Upper Marlboro, MD from 1972-94, died on Wednesday, October 1, 2014, at Brightview Assisted Living Facility in Edgewater, MD following a brief illness.

Born on May 26, 1935 in Washington, D.C., Bob attended Anacostia High School, where he was an active member in the Civil Air Patrol. After graduating from Anacostia in 1954 he then joined the Air Force, where he served on active duty for 2 years then in the Air National Guard until 1956 when he was called back to active duty during the Korean War.

After completing his service to our country, Bob joined the Prince George’s County Fire Department as a volunteer, and later became a paid member, reaching the level of Sergeant. He also served as an EMT. Among the many fire stations where he worked, he served most of his time at the Brandywine and Baden Fire Departments. He also was a valued member of the P.G. County Fire Department’s training academy in Cheltenham, MD.

After retiring from the fire department in 1986, Bob re-joined the P.G. County Government, working for the Department of Environmental Resources for another 10 years until his retirement.

Prior to becoming ill, Bob and his wife, JoAnn, enjoyed cruising their power boat around the various waterways of the Chesapeake. During the 1980’s, he helped campaign for various politicians in Prince Georges County. He coached girls’ softball, his daughter’s volleyball team and assisted with his son’s basketball team. He served for several years as the EMT for the Frederick Douglass High School varsity football games, where his children attended High School.

He was on the Board at Heritage Harbor, where he and his wife lived for 12 years and he headed up the Heritage Harbor Dance Club for several years. Bob also volunteered at Anne Arundel Medical Center. He had his hands in many more community projects as well.

Bob was preceded in death by his wife, of 49 years, JoAnn Echard Mack, in June of 2006. Bob leaves behind two children, Rick Mack and his wife, Kym of Chesapeake Beach, MD and Meg McAbee and her husband, Jay of Huntingtown, MD; four grandchildren, Cameron Stocks McAbee, Hannah Mack, Garrett and Austin McAbee; a brother, Richard “Jerry” Mack of Mechanicsville, MD and a sister, Sandy Berman of Battle Mountain, NV.

Friends are invited to Bob’s Life Celebration on Tuesday, October 7 from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8pm at the George P. Kalas Funeral Home, 2973 Solomons Island Road, Edgewater, MD, where his funeral service will be held on Wednesday, October 8 at 11:30am.

Interment will follow at Maryland Veterans Cemetery in Crownsville.

— Courtesy of George P. Kalas Funeral Home