A retired Naval Academy professor and his wife perished Thursday night in a fire that engulfed their Annapolis home.
Reuben Alley Jr., 88, and his wife, Helene Alley, 89, died after an 11 p.m. fire at their two-story house at 299 Halsey Road in the Admiral Heights neighborhood, the Annapolis Fire Department reported.
Investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire.
The blaze caused an estimated $500,000 in damage.
Officials believe the house had no working smoke detectors. The Annapolis Fire Department plans to visit the neighborhood today to educate residents about testing their alarms.
Reuben Alley retired from the Naval Academy?s Electrical Engineering Department in 1993 after 28 years of service, according to the academy.
He taught midshipmen about electrical engineering, electromagnetic theory, circuits and electronics.
Alley “maintained close ties with the Academy even after he retired and continued to contribute to the Naval Academy and its mission,” said an academy statement.
“Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Alley family.”
? Kelsey Volkmann
