Robert Speck

Robert Speck, 92, of Punta Gorda passed away at home with his daughter on Monday, November 27, 2023. A native of Wisconsin, born to Carl and Erna Speck, he never lost his lifelong love of the Packers regardless of where he lived. He graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin and was the first college graduate in his family.

An electrical engineer in the photometric laboratories of Westinghouse in Cleveland, OH and later lab manager at Hubbell Lighting in Christiansburg, VA, Bob was a lifetime member of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America having served on the national testing procedures committee. As an expert problem solver, he worked on many high profile and challenging illumination projects including the now defunct Superdome and Three Rivers Stadium, the extant Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and many others. He often said he ‘helped put a man on the moon!’ Indeed this is his proudest and one of the most challenging projects--the Launch Area Illumination System (LAIS) for the Apollo Project in case they had to go to a night launch from Cape Kennedy for the moonshot. The lighting solution needed to be especially robust to service the high heat and blast pressure at a launch pad and he provided much of the research and development of the 225 custom 6000W Westinghouse searchlights installed at the Cape.

He was blessed with his wife Joy who he married in 1967 and welcomed two daughters in the following years.

He was quite the storyteller. Many who know him have heard his 45 minute history of the Packers narrative. Most notably, he sold beer (underage) at the games when they played at East High School’s City Stadium, long before Lambeau Field was built. At age 80, he entertained a WI family sporting their Packer attire while vacationing at Disney with his well-embellished narration as we waited in line.

He was an amateur radio enthusiast and “Uncle Bob” as he was known by the younger members, was a fixture in the local ham clubs. In his younger years he enjoyed volunteering with ARES/RACES providing support during natural disasters such as providing radio communications at the county’s special needs hurricane shelter or at a local hospital. One of his proudest efforts was providing support bringing the polio vaccine to children in the Cleveland area much to the relief of a generation of mothers and fathers. In his later years, he could often be seen traipsing around the neighborhood with W4MPJ mobile installed on a rollator and in use for the daily Charlotte Amateur Radio Society’s Sunshine Net. His rig was quite the sight.

He was a decades long member of the German-American Social Club of Cape Coral where for years he would be seen each day of Oktoberfest taking tickets and greeting guests at the front gate or taking part in the festivities. The man does enjoy a good bratwurst and beer!

He has many colorful stories, too many to detail here. He is preceded in death by his wife Joy and brother Warren; survived by his daughters Judi and Janny (Chris) and grandsons Zachary, Noah and Daniel all of whom he was very proud.

The memorial service will be February 7, 2024 at 1pm at Faith Lutheran Church, Punta Gorda, FL with Pastor Narring officiating followed by internment in the Memorial Garden and light refreshments in the church fellowship hall.