He graduated from Parkersburg High School in 1946 and the University of Kentucky in 1949. He played trombone in the UK Marching Band as well as in a collegiate dance band. He was junior manager for the UK Track Team, a member of Phi Eta Sigma (freshman honorary), Lances (Junior Men’s Leadership), Lamp & Cross (Senior Men’s Leadership), Omicron Delta Kappa (Senior Men’s Honorary), and Tau Beta Pi (Engineering Honorary). For his final year, he was President of the Student Government Association.
Upon graduation he joined the Southern Railroad Co. as a student apprentice. (He also joined the 727th Southern Railway Battalion which was not on active duty at the time.) For two years he worked on a bridge gang and a track gang learning “the ropes”. He became a track supervisor at the end of two years, at which time he married his beloved Peggy Hinton of Williamstown, KY on October 5,1952. They started housekeeping in Jackson, AL and from there, for the next 17 years they moved 15 times and had 6 children. Each move was a step up the corporate ladder with the last move before going to Atlanta being a stent of two years as President of the Alton & Southern Railroad at East St. Louis IL. After returning to Atlanta, he was appointed as head of the Southern Intermodal (Piggyback) operations and later appointed Asst. Vice President of Norfolk Southern Operations Center for the rail system until his retirement in 1993. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge for more than 50 years.
Having arrived in Atlanta in 1968, he and family joined Mt. Vernon Baptist Church of Sandy Springs, GA. In 1971-72, with the population increasing, he was appointed Chairman of a building committee to add additional rooms and a gym to the church. He served as Deacon for 50+ years, was Chairman of Deacons on three different occasions and also served on several attending committees.
In his later years, he was appointed Deacon of Widows and Widowers and drove them to their appointments helping in any way he could. Bob was most helpful to his older friends.
He sang in the church choir for over 40 years and also sang with the Georgia Festival Chorus under Frank Boggs for over 25 years.
Bob enjoyed playing bridge and golf with friends and family. He also enjoyed staying at their condominium at Fort Myers Beach, FL and traveling around the world with Peg.
Bob is survived by his wife of over 72 years, Peg, their 6 children, Bob (Donna) Wharton, David (Stephanie) Wharton, Mike (Cathy) Wharton, Rick (Melissa) Wharton, Becky (Charles) Adams, and Laurie Wharton, along with 18 grandchildren, Anna (Carl) Streck, Rachel (Michael) Shurbutt, Daniel Wharton, Cara (Phil) Johnson, David (Bekah) Wharton Jr., Ben (Stephanie) Wharton, Stephen (Katie) Wharton, Hannah Wharton, Lydia Wharton, Joseph Wharton, Sadie Wharton, John (Paige) Wharton, Caitlin Wharton, Drew (Holly) Wharton, Ashley Ma, Kevin Ma, Christopher Adams and Kate Adams, plus 23 great-grandchildren. Bob was predeceased by his grandson Robert Allen Wharton III, granddaughter Ashley Elizabeth Wharton and his great-grandchildren Hope Streck and Isaiah Streck.
