Robert Keith (Bob) McCormack died peacefully at home with his family on Friday, November 28, 2025 at the age of 97 from AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia). He was born September 8, 1928, in New Castle, Indiana to Olive Belden McCormack and Perry W. McCormack, the youngest of two sons. The family settled in Winfield, Kansas when he was in the fifth grade. He attended Lowell Elementary and Winfield High School, where he met the love of his life, Shirley Ann Deck. Their meet-cute story took place in the public swimming pool at Island Park in the summer before their junior year, where he swam up to her and said, “I might want to date you sometime.” Obviously, Shirley was smitten. They were married August 28, 1948 and promptly moved to Manhattan, Kansas. He worked for the USGS Kansas during this time and graduated with a BS in geology from Kansas State University in 1950. He then worked for the State Highway Commission of Kansas until 1953, when he and Shirley both attended graduate school. After receiving his MS in geology, he returned to Kansas and resumed work with the State Highway Commission until Shirley completed her PhD in biochemistry. Robert was hired by Shell Oil Company in 1956 and began his career as a petroleum exploration geologist. He and Shirley lived in San Antonio where they adopted their three children, Mark, Michael, and Melissa. In the mid-1960s Bob and Shirley moved to New Orleans, where he worked for the Gulf of Mexico Offshore Division. The division pioneered deepwater exploration and digital seismic interpretation as Shell bid on large blocks in the Gulf. During this time, his family grew by one as he and Shirley welcomed their niece, Ginger, into the family. In 1972 he accepted a short-lived transfer to Denver, Colorado. When Shell Oil moved all of its exploration divisions to Houston in 1973, Bob, Shirley, Ginger, and Melissa settled in Kingwood, Texas. He spent the next five years working on Alaska’s North Slope. His division was honored in 1976 for their contribution in mapping and developing the area. After nearly twenty-five years with Shell, Bob made the decision to leave for the more precarious life of an independent geologist. His first move was to Pend O’Reille Oil, where he served as Senior VP of Exploration. A few years later, he moved to Patrick Oil. Those years were exciting for him, and he enjoyed the independence of choosing projects. Robert joined a group of geologists and geophysicists in 1984 organized by Ray Thomasson, a well-known petroleum exploration geologist, Thomasson Partner Associates, Inc., where he spent the remainder of his career. In 1992, his wife Shirley was offered a position at the University of Tennessee and Bob, true to form, decided it was time he moved for her career as a biochemist. While in Memphis, he commuted to Denver half-time (every two weeks) and, while in Memphis, golfed, built a fishpond and a stunning yard, and restored a1960s Chris-Craft boat. In 2001, they decided it was time to retire and moved to the Academy Village, a retirement community in Tucson, Arizona. He and Shirley went to lectures, exercise classes, and social events until her death in 2010. He found love again in 2014 with Mary Mitchell. In Academy Village, he was known for his love of wine, his insistence on weeding his own yard, his walks with Mary, and his cheerful willingness to don silly hats and jackets for special occasions. When he wasn’t trying to find oil, he played tennis, went to the symphony with Shirley, and put up with a succession of the large dogs Shirley loved. Bob and Shirley shared a love of birdwatching, and in their earlier years, camping, hiking, and cross-country skiing. His acceptance and ability to listen to others won him many friends, most notably with his high school friend Owen Fennema, Pete Sudermann, Ray Thomasson, and Larry Life. He was known for his kindness and love for his family, especially how he took care of Shirley in the last ten years of her life. He was predeceased by his wife Shirley, and sons Mark and Michael. He is survived by his daughter, Melissa McInerney, niece and honorary daughter Ginger (Tony) Nicks, his granddaughters Katie McInerney and Leiah McCormack, and beloved companion Mary Mitchell.