Robert Leighninger

Robert Allan Leighninger, 94, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, passed away on Saturday, October 5, 2024, after a long struggle with various illnesses. Robert was born to Ralph and Wilma Leighninger in Newcomerstown, Ohio on Monday, June 23, 1930. He grew up in nearby Coshocton, Ohio which fostered a humble and thoughtful perspective that he carried on throughout his life. Robert was a great man and few were as kind, gentle, and wise as he was.

Robert served our nation first when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and became a radar operator on the P2V Neptune where he supported Navy operations in the Aleutian Islands. He landed in Washington and met the love of his life, Dorothy. After his service in the Navy, he married Dorothy Donner and pursued his pharmacological license, but his interest took him elsewhere, and he completed the Electronics Engineering Technology program at DeVry University. Soon after graduation he was recruited by Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. There he served on numerous projects protecting our national interests for 35 years.

Robert loved spending time with his grandchildren and was always there if they needed him. He enjoyed animals, tinkering with electronics, and bird watching while he waited to pick up his grandchildren from school or daycare. Robert is survived by his three children, Gregory and his wife Laurie, David, Judy; his grandchildren, Christopher and his wife Katherine, Danielle, Joshua, Benjamin and his wife, Hope; his great-grandchildren, Nathaniel, Warren, Sophia, and Samuel. He will be dearly missed.