Dr. Robert Charles Ivey

Dr. Robert Charles Ivey, 82, of Abilene, passed away on July 11, 2026, in Abilene, Texas.

Private family burial service will be held at Elmwood Memorial Park, followed by a public memorial funeral service to be held at Hamil Family Funeral Home Chapel, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road at 1pm on Thursday, July 23. 

The memorial service will also be livestreamed at www.TheHamilFamilyFuneralHome.com on his obituary page.

Charles was born in Portland, Oregon to Charles Payne Ivey and Jessie Eloise Rushing Ivey on August 3, 1943. He attended school at Abilene Christian School and graduated from Eula High School. He earned his B.S. degree from Abilene Christian University (ACU) and the Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. He was married to his beloved wife, Susan Elaine McKnight Ivey, on July 11, 1986, in Abilene.

He was a professor and founding Chairman of the Physics Department at ACU for eleven years before beginning a business career in which he served as President or CEO of several market leading companies serving in multiple countries around the world. He was a member or former member of Sigma Pi Sigma National Physics Honor Society, the American Association of Physics Teachers, a Fellow of the Texas Academy of Science, a distinguished lecturer of the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME, the Society of Professional Well Log Analysts and inventor and co-patent holder of lithology determination via inelastic nuclear well logging, the American Society of Photogrammetry (satellite imaging,) and The Philosophical Society of Texas. Charles was instrumental in helping start the advanced molten salt reactor project at ACU.

Charles was preceded in death by his father and mother and an older brother, Richard Ross Ivey, all of Abilene and a stepbrother, Ron Stailey from Round Rock.

Charles is survived by his spouse, Susan, daughters Courtney Adelle Trent, Allison Kay Ivey, and Cameron Lynn Colyer, four grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Memorials and gifts, in lieu of flowers, may be given to continue the Annual Charles Ivey Award for Academic Achievement in Physics within the Department of Engineering and Physics at Abilene Christian University. The family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Gary Holland, MD, and Dr. Keith Robinson, MD for their many years of service on behalf of the deceased.