Robert Downey Passes Away

     Robert Lee Downey "Bob" of Davidsonville, Maryland passed away peacefully at age 86 on April 8th, 2021 at home, with his loving wife at his side. 
     He was born in Cumberland, Maryland in 1934 to Mylo and Mabel Downey. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife Lois Taylor Downey and his brother, Edward M. Downey. Bob is survived by his wife, Janet Irene Downey, his sons David (Najat), Evan (Dana), Peter (Laura) and stepdaughter Katherine Hardman (Gary); grandchildren Andrew, Adam, Gina, and Jacob; and sister-in-law, Loretta Downey.
    Bob enjoyed time spent with his numerous cousins, nieces and nephews, many of whom lived in his home state of Maryland. He earned both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degree in Food Science from the University of Maryland. During his 38-year career, Bob held positions as a food scientist in product development at Welch's Grape Juice Company in Westfield, New York, and later as a quality assurance specialist at Tree Top Company of Selah, Washington. He was active in the First Presbyterian Church of Westfield, New York, serving as a Deacon and an Elder. When he moved to Maryland, he was active at Woods Presbyterian Church of Severna Park, Maryland. He developed many strong friendships and enjoyed serving in the church building rehabilitation group. He was a lifetime member of the University of Maryland Alumni Club, serving as an officer in his local chapter. He also served on the Board of the Maryland College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Alumni Chapter for a number of years. He continued a lifetime connection to the University of Maryland and enjoyed being a longtime season ticket holder to Maryland Terrapin football and men's basketball games. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout and later served as Scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts of America when his sons, all Scouts, were of scouting age. In his retirement, he was able to pursue lifelong interests in cooking, gardening, bird watching, fishing, stamp collecting, and travel with his family and friends. Bob especially enjoyed making candy for his friends and family at Christmas.
    A graveside memorial service will be held at Whitehall Cemetery, 1915 Whitehall Road, Annapolis, Maryland 21409 on Wednesday, April 14th, 2021 at 1PM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to the Mylo S. Downey Memorial Scholarship fund. https://giving.umd.edu/giving/Fund.php?name=mylo-s-downey-fund Contact: 301-405-7749 University of Maryland, Division of University Relations.