Robert Charles McClain, 87 years old, of Melbourne, Florida, passed away on November 10, 2021. He was a retired Major in the U.S. Air Force, a veteran, and an attorney. Robert was born to Alice and Joseph McClain on October 13, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio. He graduated from Scott High School and received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Arizona State University. He earned a law degree from the University of Toledo School of Law and was admitted to the Ohio bar and the Florida bar. Robert worked as an accountant at Libby Glass and later in the U.S. Air Force. While living in Toledo, Robert was an active member of Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Robert enlisted in the Air Force in 1952 and served in Okinawa with the canine unit during the Korean War. He graduated from Officers Training School at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. During his military career, he was stationed at Reykjavik, Iceland; Prestwick Air Force Base, Scotland; and Wiesbaden Air Force Base, Germany. After receiving his law degree, he served in the Air Force JAG Corps as a Judge Advocate (civil lawyer) while stationed at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma and Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. During 1972-1973, he served as a combat Judge Advocate general in the Vietnam War in 1972-1973 at the Da Nang Air Base. He received the Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam. During that time, he also taught English to Vietnamese children. His final active duty assignment was at Patrick Air Force Base, near Cocoa Beach, Florida. Robert also served in the reserves while not on active duty.

After retiring from active duty in the Air Force in 1976, Robert began private practice as an attorney in Brevard County, where he handled both criminal and civil cases. Over his several decades of private practice, he dedicated many hours to pro bono work. He was a frequent recipient of the "Outstanding Pro Bono Service Award" from Brevard County Legal Aid, including at its 2019 Annual Pro Bono Awards and Recognition Gala.  In 2020 and 2021, the Florida Bar recognized him as a Senior Counselor for practicing law 50 years or more.

Robert's first marriage, to Marilyn McClain-West (née Doner) in Toledo, Ohio, in 1958, ended in divorce. In 1980, he married Claudia McClain (née Seitz) in Satellite Beach, Florida, and is survived by her. He is also survived by five children, Linda C. McClain (and James E. Fleming), of Brookline, Massachusetts; Valerie Rae McClain (and Arthur Gutman), of Tampa, Florida; Joseph C. McClain (and Jebe McClain), of Pleasantville, New York; Michael D. McClain, of Hyattsville, Maryland; and Bridget Alice Damweber (and Michael Damweber), of Melbourne, Florida. He is predeceased by his son Robert Charles McClain, Jr., who died in 1984. He is also survived by eleven grandchildren: Sarah and Katherine McClain Fleming; Philip, Jennifer,  Angelina, and David Gutman; Matthew, Sean, and Aaron McClain; Josephine and Charlotte Damweber, and a twelfth grandchild expected in December. He is predeceased by a sister, Donna Snyder, and brother, Lawrence McClain.

Robert was a passionate lover of classical music (particularly Beethoven and Liszt) and enjoyed attending classical music concerts in the Melbourne area. He loved art and antiques, enjoyed reading the classics, and studied several languages, including Latin, German, Italian, and Japanese. He studied judo while in Okinawa and later in the United States, where he advanced to a third degree black belt ( sandan ). He also played golf and practiced fencing.

His family is holding a celebration of life ceremony for him at First Baptist Church Melbourne, in Melbourne, Florida, on Saturday, November 20, from 10 a.m. to noon. He will be buried with full military honors at Cape Canaveral National Ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made either to Brevard County Legal Aid, at https://brevardcountylegalaid.org/ or to scholarships for children to attend the Gateway Music Academy of the Arts of First Baptist Melbourne, at http://gatewayacademy.info Anyone wishing to send the family a message or share a story is asked to visit Robert C. McClain's memorial page at www.davisseawindsfh.com