Master Sergeant (Retired) Robert Oliver Cornish, 52 CAMBRIDGE - Master Sergeant (Retired) Robert Oliver Cornish, 52, formerly of Cambridge, departed this life on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010, at Inova Healthplex in Fairfax, Virginia. He was born February 9, 1957 in Cambridge, Maryland, son of the late Robert Cornish, Jr., and Geraldine Catherine (Vaughn) Cornish. Robert was born to a family with a long history of military service. His great, great, great uncles served in the Civil War. His maternal grandfather Thomas Vaughn, served in War World I, and uncle, Herbert H. Hoover served in Korea, Italy, and Viet Nam. Robert received his primary and secondary education in the public school system of Dorchester County, MD. He entered the Army on December 1, 1975. He proudly belonged to the Army Rangers, 82nd Airborne units. He retired in the rank of Master Sergeant in July 1999. After retiring from military service, Robert worked initially for the Office of the Surgeon General, United States Army, with the Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program; subsequently he switched job fields and worked with the Office of Emergency Preparedness of Health and Human Services (which later became a department/ division of the Office of Homeland Security under FEMA). Later, the department division was moved back to the Health and Human Services under ASPR (Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response). During his tenure he held the position of NMRT Program Manager, and later served as the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) Operations Program Specialist for Region Three. Robert leaves to cherish his memory his wife, Tae S. Cornish, one son, Robert Blake Cornish of Virginia, and a daughter Julia Marie Cornish of Florida; two sisters, Edith V. Sherrod of New Jersey and Dorene R. Hicks of San Antonio, Texas; two brothers, Larry W. Cornish and Thomas J. Cornish of Cambridge, Maryland; two brothers in law, Collins R. Sherrod and Clairmore Hicks, Jr., a sister-in law, Tina M. Cornish; uncles, Fred Cornish and Wendell Davis; aunts, Ida Davis, Eldora Brown, Thelma Cornish, and Dorthea Chandler, and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Wendell P. Vaughn. A viewing was held on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, at Demaine Funeral Home, 5308 Backlick Road, Springfield, Va. Interment will be in Arlington Cemetery at a later scheduled date.