Robert Smolen

Maj. Gen. Robert Lee Smolen, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), 62, of Clifton, Va., passed away Sunday.

He was the loving husband of nearly 40 years to Adriane Smolen; the caring father of Mandy, Robert Lee II “Robby” and Emily Smolen, and the dear son of Gladys and the late Leo A. Smolen. He also is survived by his beloved dogs, Angus and Phoebe.

Robert proudly served in the U.S. Air Force for 33 years, retiring as a major general. He spent the past six years as a Senior National Security Fellow for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif.

Some of his favorite pastimes were scuba diving, traveling and spending time with his closest friends and family.

Smolen— A memorial service with military honors for Maj. Gen. Robert Lee Smolen, who passed away Sunday, May 18, 2014, will be at 12:30 p.m. Friday at the Memorial Chapel, Fort Myer, Va. A reception to celebrate Robert's life will follow immediately at the Fort Myer Officer's Club.In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Robert's memory be made to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund at www.fallenheroesfund.org or to the Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation at www.aamds.org.Services are under the direction of the Demaine Funeral Home, Springfield, Va.For more information, please visit www.demainefunerals.com.