Robert Hugh Hurlow

of Bainbridge Island passed away July 15, 2014 at the age of 90. Bob, or "Bud", was born on February 23, 1924 in Tacoma, WA, to Hugh Hurlow, Jr., and Marion Nancy Schroeffel. In 1950 he married Marjorie Rose Venter, with whom he shared 64 wonderful years of marriage.Bob was an electrical engineer, having studied at Whitman and the University of Washington for undergraduate work, and receiving his Masters from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. In the midst of his schooling, he was called to serve in WWII in the Signal Service in Germany. His engineering career began at the Sperry Corporation in New York. After three years, he returned to his Pacific Northwest roots. In 1950, Bob, along with his father and brother, started a small cable assembly company in their basement with his new bride, Marj, operating the first punch press. Cablecraft, Inc. began as a supplier of cables for sporting goods equipment, and soon evolved into a manufacturer and marketer of sophisticated control cables and assemblies to industrial and aviation customers. Meanwhile, Bob worked at the Boeing Airplane Company as an electrical engineer on projects from the SST to the 787. As inventor and machinist, he holds several patents for cable assemblies that were used in the aerospace and trucking industries. Bob, always an engineer, was known to confront the most difficult situations saying, "We will figure it out." He was the original Do-It-Yourselfer and was known as the guy who could fix anything.Bob's real passion was the sea. He built his first boat, aptly named "Boat," and went on to own several other sailboats. He shared his love of boating with his family through racing with Corinthian Yacht Club, several Swiftsure Races, and in 1980 the Victoria to Maui Race. The Hurlows won the "Boating Family of the Year" award in 1979. Later in life he became a "reformed sailor" and cruised powerboats to Desolation Sound and beyond. He enjoyed many Bluewater voyages to the South Pacific with his son Rob, and the North Atlantic Race and other adventures with nephew Craig Venter.Bob and Marj traveled the world together and could hardly name a country they had not visited. While with Boeing, he moved the family to Munich, Germany for 18 months and together they toured Europe in a small VW station wagon. In retirement, the Hurlows visited New Guinea, Borneo, Antarctica and other exotic destinations.Bob is survived by his wife, Marj, his son Robert S. Hurlow (Sharman) and daughter Nancy Houghton (Todd), all of Bainbridge Island. His five grandchildren were his pride and joy: Brian, Scott and Chris Hurlow and H. Aaron and Julia Houghton. Bob loved life to the fullest, whether boating, skiing, listening to opera, or sipping a Scotch at sunset reporting, "This is the best part of the day."Bob passed with his family at his side.A celebration of Bob¹s life will be held at Wing Point Country Club, 811Cherry Ave, Bainbridge Island, WA on September 28, 2014 from 2-4pm. Pleasejoin us. Charitable donations in his memory may be made to: Bainbridge Chorale, P O Box 10572, Bainbridge Island, WA 98110, www.bainbridgechorale.org; and Sound Experience, 211 Seton Rd, Port Townsend, WA 98368, www.soundexp.org.Please sign the online guestbook for the family.