Robert J. Kapsch (age 82), PhD, Author, Civil Engineer, Chief of HABS/HAER and our beloved husband, stepfather, brother, and uncle passed away in the early morning from complications of Parkinson’s Disease on Saturday, September 28, 2024, at Chiswell’s Inheritance, the family farm near Poolesville, MD. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Perry (Kephart) Kapsch, his younger brother, Joseph Michael Kapsch, Jr. (Waukena), his sisters-in-law, Ann-Frazer Brown and Carole Schmidt, four nephews, a niece and their 13 children. He was preceded in death by his first wife of 29 years, Kathryn June (Schmidt) Kapsch, his older brother, Richard J. Kapsch (Jinny) and his stepdaughter, Sarah Frazer Prestemon.

Bob grew up on Bender Avenue in Roselle Park, NJ, the middle son of Joseph Michael Kapsch and Mary Elizabeth (Brady) Kapsch. His heritage: half-Slovenian, half-Irish, solidly New Jersey. After Bob received a BS in Civil Engineering from Rutgers University in 1964, he served two tours of duty in Vietnam with the U. S. Air Force Reserve as an engineer involved with the design and construction of hospitals and casualty staging units.

Upon his return in 1968, Bob relocated to Maryland where he met and married Kathy, a Virginian.  He was awarded a MS (Management) and a MA (American Studies) by George Washington University; a PhD (Architecture & Engineering) by Catholic University and a PhD (American Studies) by University of Maryland. In the 1970’s Bob worked at NIST, served as a Congressional Fellow, then moved to work at HUD and with NIBS on building standards for historic buildings.  Next only to his book projects, he most enjoyed serving as Chief of the Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record (HABS/HAER) from 1980-1995. Subsequently, Bob was project  engineer for  restoration of the Monocacy and Conococheague Aqueducts at the C&O NHP (1995-2000), and from 2000 to 2005 he was National Park Service Senior Scholar in Historic Architecture and Engineering. He received the highest award of the U. S. Department of Interior, the Distinguished Service Medal.

After his retirement from NPS, when not enjoying traveling, his model train collection or enjoying wine on the terrace at the farm, Bob kept busy at the Center for Historic Engineering & Architecture as a lecturer and as the author of award-winning architecture and engineering books on early American and European history, especially of canals. His last book project, a collection of scholarly essays on Roman Civil Engineering, lies unfinished on his desk.

Bob was a member of Newcomen Society, American Institute of Architects, American Society of Civil Engineers, Society for Architectural History, Society for Industrial Archeology, Preservation Roundtable, International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage (TICCIH), various short-wave radio clubs, the Cosmos Club and the all-important Train Collectors Association (pre-war Lionel Standard Guage his personal favorite).

Though a serious scholar who relished primary source material and a well-written footnote, Bob’s humor, generosity, steadfastness and unassailable optimism made life with him a joy. At the center of his long life was his love of his family and his friends. And his dogs.

His funeral will be at St. Peter’s Parish, Poolesville, MD on October 13, 2024, at noon. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to K-9 Lifesavers (K-9lifesavers.org) or Montgomery Countryside Alliance (mocoalliance.org).