Robert Freeman, 86; Invented Autopilot, Navigational Devices

Dr. Robert Mark Freeman, 86, a family physician who invented several marine autopilot and navigational devices, died Nov. 5 in Federal Way, Wash., of natural causes.

Freeman, who ran the family autopilot business after his father died in 1966, held 10 patents, six assigned to the U.S. military and four involving automatic pilots and accessories. He received the National Marine Electronics Assn. Fessenden Award for outstanding contributions to marine electronics.

In his youth, Freeman dropped out of the University of Washington to join the Navy in World War II. After the war, Freeman returned to the university and obtained a medical degree. He had a family practice for 13 years before devoting his life to the autopilot business.