Robert Harrington Erbe

Robert Harrington Erbe passed away peacefully at his home in Camarillo, California on September 30, 2021.

He was born September 11, 1923, in Rockford, Illinois to Carl Henry Herman Erbe and Bernita Harrington Erbe. He graduated from Harlem High School in 1941. In 1943, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and transferred to the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he served in the Pacific Theater during WWII.

He was reassigned to the U.S. Air Force at its inception in 1947. He served as a crew member and staff officer at many command levels, including the Pentagon and CINCPAC (Commander in Chief Pacific) in Hawaii. He graduated from the Air Force Staff and Command School in 1963 and the George Washington University in 1967. He retired from the U.S. Air Force at the rank of Lt.Col. in 1970.

After his military service, he joined Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) where his assignments included working at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Command Center, Houston, TX and serving as the CSC Center Director at the U.S. Navy Missile Test Center, Point Mugu, CA.

In recognition of his years of service in the aviation and space fields, his name has been inscribed on the National Air and Space Museum’s Wall of Honor at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, VA. 

Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Yukiko Eady Erbe (nee Yamaguchi) of Camarillo, CA; his children, Drake (Marti) Erbe of Plymouth, MA, Diana Timmons of Alexandria, VA, Pamela (W. Bruce) Granick of Somerset, CA, Robert H. Erbe, Jr. of Santa Monica, CA, Cynthia (Andrew) Baade of Prescott, AZ, and James (Carrie) Erbe of Moorpark, CA; and “children of his heart”, Jerry (Susan) Eady of Redwood City, CA, Peggy (Glenn) Campbell of Lompoc, CA, Virginia (Charles) Marshall of Burbank, CA and Patricia Eady of Camarillo, CA. He is also survived by 20 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-granddaughter.

He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Kenneth Henry Erbe and Allen Wesley Erbe, and two sisters, Marilyn Baker and Darlene Greenberg.

A private, family-only graveside Celebration of Life will be held at Conejo Mountain Memorial Park, in Camarillo, CA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church, 1601 Temple Avenue, Camarillo, CA 93010.