Robert Lugannani ’56 *64

Bob died Oct. 2, 2024.

It was a circuitous trip to Princeton for Bob: A graduate of Hightstown High School, he joined the Navy at 17 and served at Great Lakes Training Station before being awarded a fleet scholarship to Princeton, where he joined Terrace Club and majored in electrical engineering. A licensed radioman since age 12, Bob served as chief technician for WPRU. After service in the Marine Corps, he returned to Princeton, earning a Ph.D. in 1964 and then joining Bell Laboratories. Princeton subsequently lured him back as an assistant professor of electrical engineering.

In 1972, Bob joined the faculty of the University of California, San Diego, where he taught statistical probability for 50 years. He took pride in his technical achievements and mentorship of thousands of students including endowing a scholarship for first-generation students.

In 1974, Bob married Dorothy Hopp, with whom he enjoyed traveling and spending extensive time in New York, London, and Honolulu, which provided them true peace. Dorothy predeceased him in 2007. Bob’s quiet love for Princeton is exemplified by the inscription on his memorial, “Tune Every Heart and Every Voice.”