Robert owns the 245 year old Andrew Zirkle Mill in Forestville, VA which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmark Register. He is also Shenandoah County Trustee of the Northern Shenandoah Valley Branch of Preservation Virginia and a re-enactor with the 1st Virginia Regiment. In 1994, he was named to Who's Who in America's Business Leaders for his work in creating Federal Acquistions Regulations software and 2006 received the Excellence in Preservation Award from the Shenandoah Preservation League.

Robert is currently a member of the Virginia Society Colorguard and is Chairman of the VASSAR Historical Observances Committee.

An avid genealogist, Robert has documented over 700 ancestors, is a cousin of the famous Daniel Boone and has traced branches of his tree back to 1360. His patriotic ancestors in America include Michael and George Adam Zirkle(brothers), Casper and John Branner(father,son), Johannes Adam and Jacob Rausch(father, son) all of Virginia.

Michael Zirkle, Casper Branner and John Branner were members of the Dunmore County Militia and later the 8th Virginia Regiment of Foot, the famous German Regiment under the General Peter Muhlenberg. Jacob Rausch was a member of Captain John Tipton's Company and present at the Battle of Point Pleasant. He was later a member of Colonel Barbour's Virginia Regiment and is believed to have been present at Yorktown for the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. John Adam Rausch has been recognized for contributions to the cause and was the father of nine sons who served in the Revolution.