Bob always struck me as a guy who was very book smart but pretty bad at dealing with other people. I mean, he was clearly a capable guy and a good engineer; you don't just get invited to work on ICBMs if you're a complete dumbass. He knew his shit when it came to electronics and engineering.
On the flip side, he fucked up with his first family bad enough that he basically had no contact with his kids after the divorce, and Chris was borderline unaware of their existence. And then afterwards he chose to marry Barb, despite the fact that the woman is a walking ball of red flags, and stayed with her until his death. I think he was genuinely a smart man who accomplished a lot in his time on this planet, and he was very proud of what he was able to achieve in his field, but at the same time that doesn't necessarily translate into knowing how to deal with other people or manage interpersonal relationships.