On Saturday, July 11, 2026, Captain Robert Henry Cassis Jr., of Madison, Alabama, was granted a new place prepared for him in a mansion under a new heaven on a new earth. He left us while surrounded by the love of his family, holding the hand of his precious wife of 65 years. He was 86. Bob was born to Robert H. Cassis Sr. and Eleanor E. Boggiano in Nyack, New York, and lived in Spring Valley, New York, as a child with his parents and siblings, Carol Cassis Chappelle and Richard Cassis. Bob was a member of the Spring Valley DeMolay Chapter, following in his father’s footsteps, and earned the rank of Life Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.
Upon graduation from high school, Bob entered the Coast Guard Academy and graduated with a degree in electrical engineering after serving two summers on the tall ship the USCG Cutter Eagle. He served his country for 27 years and was ultimately promoted to the rank of captain. His final duty station was as the Commanding Officer of the USCG Support Center Alameda, the Coast Guard’s largest land command. During his command, the unit became the first support center to be awarded a meritorious unit commendation in the history of the Coast Guard. (An award previously given exclusively to ships) During his career, Bob served on the USCGC General Green as Executive Officer, earned his MBA in Operations Research, and was assigned to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Data Buoy project to help design oceanographic data collection buoys. Bob was responsible for all electronics systems in the USCG’s Arctic District and was the Executive Officer of the USCG Support Center Norfolk, VA. Bob played a pivotal engineering role in the design and development of the LORAN-C and GPS navigation systems, contributing foundational design, implementation, testing and fielding of technology that helped mariners and aviators safely navigate the world. He was privileged to participate in the USA’s bicentennial celebration in Operation Sail while flying in a helicopter over the USCG Cutter Eagle, performing field testing of the first LORAN-C navigator, a predecessor to the GPS geolocation system currently on your cell phone. In his last days, he was delighted to watch the Eagle sail again into New York Harbor during our nation’s 250th Anniversary celebration, past the Statue of Liberty and Governor’s Island, where he was once stationed.
Bob’s life was transformed during his time in Picayune, Mississippi, when he was called to a life of service to God. He immediately began serving the communities that surrounded him in the name of Christ. He gave freely of himself and his time, his heart deeply burdened for young people. He invited young people home, met kids where they were, led youth groups, and personally mentored those who had spiritual, emotional, or physical needs. He first got involved with Youth for Christ in Juneau, AK, where he became the local head of the YFC chapter and a favorite among the young people in the community. At his instigation, inspired by a nearly fatal accident involving friends of his teenage kids, YFC began an all-night high school graduation night bash to keep young people off the streets, an event widely practiced across the nation today, but which was novel at the time.
Following his retirement from military service, Bob answered his other calling, becoming ordained as an evangelist in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). He graduated with his M Div from Reformed Theological Seminary. During this time, it was his joy to lead his brother Richard to Christ. Richard became a man whose faith in God changed lives and the world for the better. Bob served as a pastor at South Sound Presbyterian Church in Olympia, WA. He also ministered at Liberty Presbyterian Church and Grace Presbyterian Church, where he retained many beloved friends. Much of his ministry unfolded through encouraging and mentoring fellow pastors in the Pacific Presbytery. His ministry to young people continued through Youth for Christ, where he served as Director of YFC in Kitsap County.
Bob was an active member of the Greater Kitsap County Chamber of Commerce. He was an enthusiastic member of the Lacey Rotary Club and was recognized as Rotarian of the Year by his chapter. He continued his lifelong commitment to serving others and his community, attempting to sell more ducks in the annual Duck Dash with his fellow Rotarians.
Bob was remarkably capable with his hands. Whether he was repairing a bathroom and septic system in a home on the Yakima Indian Reservation, raising the two church buildings whose building committees he chaired, or crafting beautiful woodworking projects for his grandchildren, he approached every task with the recipient in mind and making things right for them. Each project was an excuse to acquire more tools, and his three-bays-but-no-cars garage reflected that! Projects were about people, and the projects left undone were his own.
It was not unusual for him to stop whatever he was doing to engage complete strangers in a meaningful conversation, because he genuinely cared about people. He often reminded those around him that “people need the Lord,” and his life reflected that conviction in countless quiet acts of kindness, encouragement, and friendship.
Bob’s favorite way to serve God was by loving his wife, Kathy. Their marriage reflected the love, faithfulness, and devotion that were central to his life. He was proud of her and supported her pursuit of higher education and a professional career. Throughout their marriage his relationship to her was paramount. Those closest to Bob witnessed the depth of his love for Kathy most clearly during his final years. Even as illness gradually took so much away from him, his greatest concern was not for himself; it was for Kathy. The pain of not being able to protect, provide for, and care for her any longer cut him more than the disease itself. Watching his sweet concern and tenderness towards her, despite his personal trials, reflected the faith he professed and the life he lived.
Those of us who knew Bob will also remember his characteristic humility. When asked how he was doing, his familiar reply was, “Better than I deserve,” a simple but profound expression of the grace of God that shaped his life.
Today Bob is celebrating being re-united in heaven with his parents and his brother Richard. He is survived by his beloved wife, Kathy; his son, Robert; his daughter, Terry; and his sister, Carol. He was known as “Cappy” to his 13 grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews, including Chris and Kim, with whom he shared a particularly close bond after the loss of their father.
Bob leaves behind a legacy of faithful service, steadfast love, quiet competence, unwavering faith, and genuine compassion. His greatest accomplishments were not the ranks he achieved, the systems he helped design, or the offices he held, but the countless lives he touched by pointing people toward Christ and by treating every person he met as someone worthy of his time, his friendship, and his love.
Were he with us now, he would reach out his hand, place it on your forehead and speak these words:
“Blessings on your noble brow.”
