Robert Lincoln Maby, Jr. was born in New York City in August 28, 1921, the only child of Robert L. Maby and Lelia Grace Maby. He served in the US Army Air Force during WWII on B-17’s earning several decorations including Distinguished Flying Cross. He received a B.S. in Geology at the University of Wisconsin in 1947.

While attending the University of Wisconsin he met and later married his wife, Carolyn (Lyn) Lorene Wollschlaeger. Carolyn was born in 1928 and died in 1988.

Robert learned the “nuts and bolts” of the oil business while working for Mid-Continent Petroleum Corporation in Oklahoma from 1951-1954. He then went on to an illustrious career at the Arabian American Oil Company, (ARAMCO) from 1954 – 1982. He then became an International Consultant until his retirement in 2000.

His career included working as a drilling superintendent, drilling engineer, geologist, petroleum engineer, geophysicist and teacher who could speak eight languages. Roberts’s expertise led to the discovery of the Cretaceous Orbitolina Limestone reservoir, writing a definitive company manual on bottom-hole testing among many other accomplishments.

As soon as he retired from ARAMCO, the Society of Petroleum Engineers awarded him a Distinguished Lectureship and for a year he traveled and spoke throughout the United States and Western Europe. Afterwards, he worked on constructing a mathematical model of the world’s largest oilfield, participating in planning of an extensive hands-on oil exhibit/museum in Saudi Arabia, and consulting with NASA and the US Army Topographic Laboratory. 

Aside from geology and archeology, Robert’s interest and study included theology, mythology and music, especially opera. Robert died in 2009.