Robert L. Albright

Dr. Robert Albright was a polymer chemist. He was the consummate nerd. Dr. Bob, as he was known, kept his pocket protector full of pens, a mechanical pencil, a screwdriver and a ruler. And he was never without a toothpick in his mouth. He generally wore a suit and tie almost everywhere. He grew up a poor farm boy who was teased as a kid for only having blue jeans to wear. Typical of a kid growing up on a farm, he could fix anything. He could take apart and fix cars from the ground up and he loved doing so for most of his life. He would just pull his coveralls over his shirt and tie and get to work.

In addition to farm work, Bob started sweeping floors at age 12 after school at the garment factory where his mother was a seamstress. His father worked in a feed mill. Fortunately, a town nearby where he grew up had a high school that supported kids pursuing a college education. He and his two brothers graduated from that high school, went to college and earned their PhDs in Chemistry from the University of Illinois. His sister also graduated from high school and became a nurse. Not bad for kids whose parents did not have the luxury of even attending high school.

Bob loved solving problems. He applied his expertise in polymer chemistry, separations, and adsorption chemistry across a breadth of industries. He has an impressive number of patents in his name. He also supported the development of many technologies we know and love. If you like your orange juice without pulp, give a high-five to Bob. If you have travelled to islands where your drinking water came via desalination, another high-five. If you like the way your house paint rolls smoothly onto the surface, there's another and if you enjoy the fact that you don't need to change your motor oil as much because of synthetic oils, give him one more.

He even worked in the field of medicine. He was involved in the original development of cholestyramine (the precursor to statins). When Merck explored getting a better bile sequestrant, Bob's name appears on both of those patents. In the early 2000's he served as the CTO of a dialysis company and developed a polymer and apparatus to remove phosphates from blood. The goal at that point was to develop what was called "a kidney in a can." This may be the time period the rolling pin and blender disappeared from the kitchen and into his lab; additions to his cadre of tools.

But what made Bob an innovator? He loved being out with customers. He developed many of the polymers that were used in industrial separations, and he was constantly on planes going around the world to help solve problems and optimize processes. A highlight was going on safari in South Africa while working on a process for a platinum mine. Then he would head back to the labs and develop better solutions.

He just loved solving problems. After 40 years with Rohm and Haas he worked as a private consultant into his 80s, often helping companies at no cost. He even had a patent issued under his name on February 10th of this year. Outside of chemistry and invention, Bob loved watching and participating in sports. He played in both softball and bowling leagues and taught his two daughters how to bowl and body surf. He donated several pairs of glasses to the Atlantic Ocean in his body surfing days and often gave the lifeguards opportunities to exercise their whistles when he swam out too far in the ocean.

Bob, a longtime resident of Churchville, died at 94 years of age. Up until a couple of weeks back, he was still going out to lunch with Wanda, his wife of 66 years and attending his church where he worshipped for as many years. We are grateful for how peacefully all unfolded. Despite the sadness, this is a celebration of life!

Above all these things, Bob was a great man of faith and it is this faith that now comforts our family and provides us a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29: 11 For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.

In addition to his beloved wife Wanda, Bob is survived by his loving daughters, Rhonda Albright and Colleen A. Boyer and her husband Mark. He was a loving grandfather to Kirsten Rhine and her husband Matthew, Joshua Boyer and his wife Kelli and John, Sophia and Audrey Meinel and great grandfather to Micah Boyer.

Bob is also survived by his brother Fred Albright and his wife Blake, sister-in-law Thelma, nephews Mike, Mark, Andrew and nieces Suzanne and Brooke. His brother Donald, sister June Steller and nephews Douglas, Brian and Matthew preceded him in death.

Memorial service for family and friends of Bob will be held at Fellowship Bible Church, 13021 Worthington Road in Philadelphia on Tuesday, March 10 at 4 in the afternoon. Greeting begins at 3:30PM. Light fare will be set out after the service for additional time to visit with family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider donations in Bob's honor and memory to the Sunday Breakfast Mission. Information and the link to donate directly will appear in the Donation section below.