Robert John (“Rob”) Sullivan, Jr. of Lansing, NY passed away peacefully on February 15, 2026 following a courageous battle with ALS. Rob was born near Sydney, Australia on February 16, 1962. His family moved to Sherborn, MA in 1970. There, he spent summers life-guarding and teaching swimming lessons at Farm Pond. He loved growing up in a small town where he enjoyed playing street hockey and baseball and running cross-country through the woods. He loved the Boston Red Sox, attending his last game at Fenway in September. Curiosity, integrity, and honesty were defining characteristics of Rob’s. He was a dedicated husband and father who never missed a dance recital, stage performance, or athletic event, enjoyed building sets for the Lansing High School musicals, and was always available to the girls for homework help. Rob cherished spending time with family and friends, boat rides on Cayuga Lake, stargazing, dramatic weather, changing seasons, and beautiful sunsets from his front yard. Rob’s love for his family was so deep he would go to great lengths to ensure their happiness above his own needs. When his friends needed help, he was always there.
Rob received his B.S. from Brown University in Geology-Physics/Mathematics and Ph.D. from Arizona State University. Rob was a Principal Research Scientist at the Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, and was a world expert on Martian aeolian processes. Rob was the recipient of many NASA Achievement Awards, having served on Mars 2020, Mars Science Laboratory, Mars Exploration Rovers, Mars Express, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Pathfinder, and Galileo. Rob authored or co-authored well over 100 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, but was an extremely humble person despite his prolific contributions to his field. He is sorely missed by his colleagues.
