Robert Wing Eisenhart

Robert Wing Eisenhart, 100, of Portland, Oregon, died June 3, 2024.

He was born Dec. 16, 1923, in Burlington, to Albert Vern and Wilma (Wagner) Eisenhart.

He fell madly in love with his future wife, Helen Galvin, while they were attending Burlington High School together.

He remained madly in love with her for the 75 years, 3 weeks and 3 days of their marriage before her death in 2018.

Helen and Bob were married on Dec. 27, 1942, before he joined the Marines to serve as an aerial navigator in the Pacific during World War II. They had two children together, Ann and Robert Wayne.

After the war, Bob and his young family lived in a Quonset hut while he earned his chemistry degree from Iowa State College in 1948. Almost 40 years later he got a Master's in Environmental Science from State University of Illinois in 1984.

Bob started his career at the Burlington Atomic Energy Commission and Iowa Army Ammunition plant eventually rising to chief chemist. He then went on to positions in Arizona and Wisconsin with titles including pyrotechnic engineer, explosives chemist, and upper atmosphere chemical payload engineer.

His attention switched from fire to water when he became a Resource Planner and Environmental Protection Engineer for the Illinois EPA in Petersburg, IL. He worked at the Illinois EPA until retirement.

Indeed, Bob was passionate about the environment long before it became a widely acknowledged issue of concern.

After moving to Illinois, he helped found the first chapter of the Sierra Club in the state.

He participated in a field study program, Project Ocean Search, where he was dive buddies with Jean-Michael Cousteau, son of Jacques Cousteau.

In his 70s he went on a scientific research expedition to Antarctica.

He was an avid traveler throughout his life going to every continent but Australia. He and Helen went on multiple international cruises when they were in their 80s and after her death he traveled to Iceland with his granddaughters in his 90s.

Much of Bob and Helen's travel was for the 30-plus work mission trips they took with United Methodist Volunteers in Mission, including to Alaska and Africa.

But Haiti held a truly special place in their hearts and was where they did most of their mission work, building schools and churches and other assistance projects.

Bob was active in community life wherever they lived, volunteering for, and often holding office in, community organizations such as school boards, planning and zoning commissions, symphony boards, Boy Scouts, and the US Junior Chamber of Commerce.

Bob was involved in a wide variety of hobbies and volunteer projects over the years. He performed in community theater, did acrobatic horse riding and gymnastics in his youth, and participated in volunteer archaeological digs. He preferred fact to fiction, reading through the encyclopedia at least twice and rarely watching television.

And he always sang in the choir. Singing was a passion for Bob, which drew him to join church and community choirs. A tenor, he was named "Outstanding New Singer" at the International United Methodist church choir in Atlanta. He co-founded the Menard County Singers who sang at the dedication of Lincoln's Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois.

In 2007, Helen and Bob moved to Portland to be closer to family including their two oldest great-grandchildren, Cecelia and Rowan. They would watch the kids after school, read them books and ply them with ice cream.

Survivors include five grandchildren, Amy Denniston of Washington, DC; Sara (Bill) Eddie of Portland; Eric Eisenhart (Kat Ogaz) of Santa Rosa, California; Joshua Eisenhart of Sebastopol, California; Abrie Eisenhart of Kailu-Kona, Hawaii; six great-grandchildren; two nieces, Jill Quakenbush of Washington, Iowa, and Leslie Simon of Glenview, Illinois; and a nephew Jay Simon of Littleton, Colorado.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen, his children Ann Galvin-Eisenhart and Robert Wayne Eisenhart and his siblings Wilmer (Bill) Eisenhart and Joan (Jo) Simon.

The Graveside Committal Service for Robert and Helen Eisenhart will be Sept. 21 at 1 p.m. in Aspen Grove Cemetery in Burlington.

Prugh Funeral Service is in care of the arrangements.

Condolences can be sent to the family by visiting Robert's obituary at www.prughfuneral.com.