Robert E. Nagle

Robert E. Nagle (Age 84) passed away on August 16, 2014, at his home in McLean, VA surrounded by his loving family.

Robert was born in Mount Vernon, NY. He received his B.A. from Wesleyan University, his J.D. from University of Chicago Law School and his LL.M from Georgetown University Law Center. After law school, Bob served as a legal officer in the U.S. Navy in JAG at Camp Pendleton in California. Upon leaving the Navy, he embarked on over two decades of government service, where most of his work targeted the protection of the rights, health, and safety of American workers. This service included more than a decade at the U.S. Department of Labor, where he litigated cases related to the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Equal Pay Act.

During the Kennedy administration, he served as a special counsel to the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity, where he helped impose sanctions on government contractors who discriminated on the basis of race. He was associate counsel to the Senate Subcommittee on Labor in 1969-1970, where he was involved in developing and drafting the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) and the Coal Mine Safety Act of 1969. From 1971 to 1974, he was general counsel to the Senate Committee on Labor and Public Welfare, where he helped develop and draft the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

He was in private practice from 1974 to 1979. From 1979 to 1982, he was executive director of the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation. From 1982 until his death, he served as an arbitrator and mediator in employee benefits and labor disputes, and from 1985 until his death he served as neutral trustee and chairman of two multiemployer pension and health benefit funds.

He maintained many friendships from his childhood, college, and professional years. He was active in a local tennis group and took great pleasure in traveling and playing classical guitar. He was loved and admired by all who knew him and will be remembered for his wisdom, judiciousness, kindness, and wit. He will be deeply missed.

Devoted father of John B. Nagle, Tamlyn Nagle Rayle and Robert E. Nagle III and grandfather of Caitlin Rayle, Francesca Nagle and Nicolas Nagle. He was also survived by his brothers Allan and Richard. His beloved wife Ronna predeceased him in 1995.