SCHENECTADY — Walter L. Robb, an engineer who rose to become the director of General Electric Co.'s research and development center and in retirement nurtured local inventors and sports teams, was remembered Tuesday for his generosity and the support he gave to community organizations. Robb died Monday at age 91 after contracting COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

"All of us at Ellis are saddened by Walt’s passing. We extend our deepest sympathies to his beloved wife Anne and his entire family," said Paul Milton, president and CEO of Ellis Medicine. "Our team at Ellis is fortunate to have had a man of Walt’s stature and character in our midst. He was a mentor to many of us here, an inspiring leader and a generous supporter – just as he was to many individuals and organizations throughout the Capital Region.

"Beyond his philanthropy, Walt gave generously of his time, experience and vision to a countless number of entrepreneurs and leaders," Milton added. "The indelible mark he has left on all of us as a community cannot be overstated. He will be missed."

Robb's generosity extended to Pennsylvania State University, where he earned his bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering. A $1 million gift from Walter and Anne Robb in 2010 endowed the directorship of the Engineering Leadership Development minor in Penn State's College of Engineering.

In 1987, Robb was given Penn State’s Distinguished Alumni Award, "the highest recognition the University can bestow on its graduates," according to the school's announcement.

And in 1993, Robb was awarded the President's Medallion, "given to recognize individuals who support and bring distinction to the University of Illinois System in profound ways." Robb had earned master's and doctoral degrees there.

Robb's son Richard said Monday one of his brothers answered their father's call for help in caring for his wife Anne, Robb, who is also believed to have COVID-19. Walter Robb, who was suffering from a serious cough at the time, was persuaded to go to the hospital to get examined.

He was admitted and immediately put on a respirator. His condition quickly deteriorated, and at 11 p.m. Sunday the family was notified that Robb was failing. He died at 5 a.m. Monday.

Robb was known for his improvements to advanced imaging equipment, in particular his work on the computed tomography (CT) scanner and the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. They became major products for GE with broad applications in health care and other sectors.

Vic Abate, GE's chief technology officer, called Robb "a true builder in every sense of the word — with GE, with the Research Lab and in the Capital Region’s business community."

But Robb also was a supporter of inventors and entrepreneurs, investing in numerous startup companies.

He even owned two minor-league sports franchises, the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League — and was a regular sight enthusiastically ringing a cowbell to support the team from his suite behind the visitor’s goal — as well as the Albany Conquest of the Arenafootball2 league. Neither team turned a profit.

Robb bought the River Rats in 1998, six years after he retired from GE, from local businessman Al Lawrence. After unsuccessfully looking for a buyer who would keep the River Rats in the area, Robb sold the team in 2010. The new owner, Michael Kahn, moved the team to Charlotte, N.C. The Rats were in the bottom 25 percent of AHL attendance each of their last 10 seasons in Albany.

Arenafootball2 was a feeder league to the Arena Football League. Robb owned the Conquest, who later changed their name to the Firebirds, from 2005 to 2009, when he suspended operations for financial reasons.

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In addition, he directed his time and financial support to the Double H Ranch for children with serious medical issues, a renowned camp founded by philanthropist Charles R. Wood and Hollywood icon Paul Newman. Since the Double H officially opened its doors on July 4, 1993, it has served more than 60,000 children.

Dr. Walt Robb served on the Double H Ranch Board for over 25 years and I’ll never forget when he first came up to the Ranch and stated that he was a very busy man and would probably serve a year on the Board," recalled Max Urenda, the Double H Ranch CEO. "Walt drank the kool aid and became engrossed in the possibilities of enhancing the lives of children and families who were dealing with life threatening illnesses.

"He believed in helping others in greater need and his family was his most prized gift in life," Urenda added. "His legacy will live on in our community and there is no doubt that he lived every day to its fullest."

In a 2010 interview, Robb confessed to Times Union columnist Mark McGuire that he went to college wanting to be a sportscaster.

Instead, he began his 30-plus years at GE as a chemical engineer at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, which GE operated under contract with the U.S. Department of Defense.

Robb early in his career was one of two recruiters sent by GE to the University of Illinois, where Robb had earned his master's and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering. There, they recruited another chemical engineering doctoral candidate named Jack Welch. Welch, who died earlier this month, would become CEO, while Robb became a senior vice president.

Here's Robb speaking in 2015 to "Schenectady Today":

In 1983, he was named senior vice president and group executive of GE's Medical Systems Division in Milwaukee, Wis., where he built its diagnostic imaging equipment into a world leader and $1-billion-dollar-a-year business with 10,000 employees worldwide. He became senor vice president for corporate research and development and was a member of the company's corporate executive council from 1986 to 1992.

"Walt was just one notch below" Welch throughout his career, his son Rich recalled Monday.

GE's Abate said Robb "was extremely active to his final days. He visited the Research Lab often and has left a legacy with our company and in our community that will have lasting impact for many decades to come.”

In 1993, President Bill Clinton presented him with the National Medal of Technology for his medical imaging innovations. Robb was named by the state University at Albany Foundation as a Citizen Laureate in 2016.

Robb also served for more than 20 years on the board of directors at Proctors, the downtown Schenectady arts venue.

"He came in when it was in trouble a long time ago and was a substantive advocate and donor to the capital campaign 17 years ago," recalled Philip Morris, Proctors CEO. The space in front of the arts complex's GE Theater we called Robb Alley in recognition of his contributions, Morris said.

A Clarkson University trustee, Robb helped broker the uniting of Clarkson and Union Graduate College.

In recent years, he served as president of Vantage Management Inc. and CEO of MeOH Power, and co-founded Schenectady's tech incubator. He published a memoir, "Taking Risks: Getting Ahead in Business and Life," in 2014.

Funeral arrangements — which across the country have been complicated by the pandemic — were not immediately available.

Pete Dougherty contributed.