Charles Robert Walter Jr.

Charles Robert Walter Jr. C. Robert Walter Jr., 87, passed away peacefully Thursday, November 12th, 2009, in Richmond. Bob, as he was known by his friends, was born October 31, 1922, in Charlottesville, to the late C. Robert Walter Sr. of Amissville, Virginia and Margaret Smith Walter, of Lexington, Kentucky. He is survived by his three children, Margaret Vandermark and her husband, Arthur, of Charlottesville, John R. Walter and his wife, Linda, of Richmond and Elizabeth Yezzi and her husband, Rick, of Sacramento, California; six grandchildren, Angela Gansor and her husband, Steve, Cheryl Masaitis, Katie Masaitis and Andrew, Nathan and Nancy Walter; and a host of relatives and friends who respected and loved him dearly. Bob was born and raised in Charlottesville, and graduated in 1943 from the University of Virginia with a B.S. in chemistry. He enlisted in the Army Air Corp during World War II and became a bombardier on B-17s, flying missions from England. He was shot down twice. He was captured on an October 3, 1944 mission over Nuremburg and spent the remainder of World War II in a P.O.W. camp in Barth, Germany. He received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained in 1944. After the war, Bob received a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in organic chemistry. In 1950, he married Marjorie Anne Johnson (who passed away on July 18, 2007). He became a professor of chemistry at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 1952, he moved to the private sector as a chemist for Allied Chemical in Hopewell, Virginia. In 1966, he joined what was then George Mason College, a satellite to the University of Virginia. He joined as Chairman of the then-new Chemistry Department. He continued as department chair for 17 years, during which time he was instrumental in building the department. Bob retired from George Mason University in 1987 and moved with his beloved Marjorie to Cape Coral, Florida where they spent 20 years before returning to Virginia. The children of Bob and Marjorie would like to express how grateful we are that our parents are now reunited together for all eternity. We were so lucky to have had them in our lives and will miss them greatly. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to celebrate his life. The family will receive friends from 4 until 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 18, 2009, at the Hill & Wood Funeral Home, 201 North First Street, Charlottesville, Virginia. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. Thursday, November 19, 2009, at the Hill and Wood Funeral Home Chapel, with interment to follow at the Monticello Memory Gardens Cemetery, Charlottesville, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bob's name to the Employee Christmas Fund, Westminster Canterbury, 1550 Westminster Canterbury Way, Richmond, VA 23227. Friends may sign the guest book at www.hillandwood.com


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.