Robert Alfred Wey

Robert Alfred Wey, aged 82, passed away on June 15, 2026. He was born in Washington, DC, on February 12, 1944, to Myrtle B. and George A. Wey of Arlington, VA. His family moved to Richmond, VA, where he graduated from Hermitage High School and then received a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering from the University of Virginia. He was a member of the Eta Kappa Nu service fraternity and the Raven Society. Bob was a life-long Boy Scout and received rank of Eagle Scout from Troop 659 at Lakeside United Methodist Church in Richmond, VA. He continued to serve as an Assistant Scout Master and Scout Master in troops in New York and upheld the Scouting principles throughout his life. Another interest in Bob’s life was automobiles. He raced a Triumph TR3 car in the “production” category of the Sports Car Club of America for seven years. Bob’s chosen career in electronics carried him and his family from Virginia to Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts. Bob’s work in this industry ranged from designing specialized instruments for laser research, designs for optical fiber testbed, measurement and manufacturing methods, and customer support using fiber optic cables. This experience then led to regional sales management for several fiber optics and electrooptic companies . His long-standing interest in electronics and audio came together at an A/V consulting firm. Here he carried out design and equipment specification, project management and final acceptance testing. Bob holds 7 patents in field of fiber optics and control engineering. He had a life-long interest in music and performance beginning in elementary school where he entertained his classmates with puppet shows and playing the ukelele. He began playing the guitar in college and continued this interest after graduation as a part time performer of folk music with several partners. This avocation became a successful enterprise as he expanded his performances to coffee houses and folk music festivals in Massachusetts, New York, California, Connecticut, and North Carolina. Another extension of this music career was his opening of a recording studio (Ear-Relevant Sounds) which he built and ran successfully for more than 10 years in Westford, MA. Bob’s primary instrument became the Hammered Dulcimer. He was self-taught on this folk instrument and won the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship in 1977. He was a well-known performer and teacher on this instrument. He was also a co-founder of the Cranberry Dulcimer Festival which ran for thirty years in New York. Throughout his music career, Bob produced several records and CDs. When he retired, he and his wife moved to Blacksburg, VA where he continued to make music with new friends in the New River Valley. Bob is survived by his wife Louise W. Wey and his daughter Catherine L. Wey of Lowell, Massachusetts. He also has left behind his beloved cats Sergeant, Beckett, and Freyja who are the most recent members of his large feline family. Contributions in Bob’s memory may be made to the Animal Care and Adoption Center, 480 Cinnabar Rd, Christiansburg, VA 24073, or to an animal rescue organization of your choice.

Robert Alfred Wey

February 12, 1944 - June 15, 2026