Walter Roy Eshbaugh

Walter "Roy" Eshbaugh, 76, passed away on May 16th, 2023, at Pinnacle Specialty Care in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Roy was born on January 12th, 1947, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Walter Harold and Adalyn Eshbaugh.

Despite having elementary report cards that indicated he paid attention only when he wanted and poor grades in Citizenship, Roy graduated from McCluer High School in St. Louis and earned a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Missouri-Rolla. He also completed an MBA from Southern Illinois University.

Roy had a successful career as a chemical engineer at Monsanto, where he worked on innovative new formulas for herbicides. As a chemical engineer, he made a suggestion that people never, under any circumstances, touch the Mississippi River.

Roy married Sue Vickers in St. Louis on June 21, 1975. Their daughter, Elaine, was born in 1977. In 1983, Roy's career with Monsanto brought him and his family to Muscatine, Iowa. Roy and Sue divorced in 1993. He married Vera Veerhusen in Muscatine on February 14, 1998.

Roy enjoyed backpacking, fly fishing, and photography. He once won an award for a photograph of a snake. Roy enjoyed buying multiple large and expensive backpacks, most of which he never used but for which his son-in-law is quite grateful. He loved everything about Canada (the government, the scenery, the popularity of train travel), and often talked of moving there permanently. Although he was far too unathletic and clumsy to snow ski, his favorite place in the world was Revelstoke, Canada.

Roy was a pro at Scrabble and technically never lost-because if he was losing he would "accidentally" knock the board and scatter the tiles everywhere. He continued winning later in life when he mysteriously lost his internet connection when his opponent was doing well.

Roy loved chemistry. Despite his best efforts to convince his daughter to focus on "hard sciences" like chemistry, she went on to be a faculty member in a school of "human sciences," which Roy insisted are not sciences at all.

In later life, he developed a love of Fox News. In the weeks before his death, his daughter discovered he was giving frequent donations to Iowa Public Radio and National Public Radio. You think you know a person.

Roy enjoyed watching news and discussing current events with Vera. Some of his favorite things were salmon, mashed potatoes, and oatmeal raisin cookies with walnuts. When given oatmeal cookies without walnuts, he would point out the omission and act disgusted before binge eating all the cookies in one sitting. He disliked the University of Iowa Hawkeyes (because their coaches are overpaid), nearly all vegetables, mingling, and small talk.

Roy is survived by his daughter Elaine Eshbaugh, son-in-law Bill Henninger, sister Sue Eshbaugh, brothers Stephen Eshbaugh and Neil Eshbaugh, and lifelong friend Sue Vickers Dwyer.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Vera, and his brother J.B. Eshbaugh.

At Roy's request, there will be no services. He dislikes mingling and small talk in death as much as he did in life. He probably didn't want an obituary either.

His daughter and son-in-law plan to spread his ashes in Canada.

Donations can be made to the University of Northern Iowa Dementia Simulation House: https://give.uni.edu/campaigns/26483/donations/new?a=5128769