Robert Leighton Wilbur

Robert was born May 18, 1935 in Portland, Oregon to Dr. William and Helen Wilbur. He worked for Southwest Research Institute for 20 years. He was clever and brilliant!

With family and friends, Bob Wilbur was always the life of the party- the one with the great life story, the quick joke, unexpected analogy, or quirky idiom to match the moment.

He kept everyone laughing until everyone's cheeks were sore!! Robert was a proud family man who loved his children and grandchildren.

Professionally, Robert Wilbur contributed to several technology inventions and patents including the Tempur-pedic Tempur Foam for which he was inducted into the Space Foundation's Space Technology Hall of Fame in 1998.

http://www.spacefoundation.org/programs/space-technology-hall-fame/inducted-technologies/tempur-foam.

Bob was a key member a team of multi-disciplinary scientists and engineers who applied aerospace technology to biomedical research and health problems as NASA's Biomedical Application Team at Southwest Research Institute.

Key inventions included Methods for Identifying Denominations of Paper Money, Weight Shift Alarm for Brain Damaged Paraplegic Persons, Portable Voice Amplification System for Individuals with Partially Paralyzed Vocal Cords, and Portable Heart Rate Indicator for Active Patients.

Additional research was done for Atherosclerosis-related Responses to cigarette smoking and the effects of cigarette nicotine content on smoking behavior as far back as the late 1970's.

Robert Wilbur loved children and wanted to see them grow in science. He enjoyed taking his grandkids to the San Antonio Museum of Science which is opening next month in a new location as DoSeum of San Antonio.

He was preceded in death by his father, Dr. William Penn Wilbur and mother, Helen Leighton Wilson.

Robert is survived by his wife, Sharon Wilbur; daughter, Rochelle Roberts and Eddie Reino; daughter, Catherine Daves and John Daves; son, Eric Wilbur and Doug Hovelson; son, Scott Wilbur and Christi Wilbur; grandchildren, Brandon Roberts, Travis Daves, Brittney Wilbur, Morgan Daves and Brianna Wilbur; brother, Philip Wilbur and Adele Wilbur and sister, Sue Schlegel and William Schlegel.

ROSARY

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015

1:15 P.M.

PORTER LORING NORTH CHAPEL

2102 NORTH LOOP 1604 EAST

Interment will follow in Holy Cross Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to DoSeum 2800 Broadway, San Antonio, Texas 78209, 210-212-4453, [email protected].