Robert B. Walton

Robert Bruce Walton, 103, passed away peacefully on September 1 at home in Columbus. He was born on November 30, 1915 in Jersey City, NJ to Herbert and Florence Walton. He is preceded in death by his loving wife of 73 years, Audrey Brown Walton, his parents, his brothers Albert (Ruth) and Clarence, his sister Florence Kern (William), sister-in-law Shirley Manewall (Jason) and niece Judith Walton. He leaves to cherish his memory children Wendy Reichenbach (Seth), Bobette Chase, Sheryl Walton, Scott Walton (Lynn), grandchildren Anastasia Reichenbach, Kathryn Leaf (Nathan), Matthew Chase, David Chase, Jason Medford, Joseph Rizzo (Alee), Janessa Rizzo, Andrew Walton, Laura Price, Seth Reichenbach, Jr., great-grandchildren Braden Medford, Caleb Medford, Parker Rizzo, Gianna Rizzo-Duran, Lillian Rizzo, nieces Louann Kern, Deborah Thompson (Leonard) and nephew William Kern Jr. (Sarah). Robert earned his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University in 1948. He earned his Ph.D. from Rutgers under the direction of Nobel Laureate Selman Waksman in 1953. He worked at Merck labs in Rahway, NJ from 1940 until his retirement as a Senior Research Scientist in 1981. His 41 years at Merck incorporated the "age of antibiotics". His research involved isolation and/or synthesis of major antibiotics of the day. During WWII he was drafted into the Army, but was recalled to Merck by order of The President to continue his research on penicillin. He was responsible for development of the media broth that enabled mass production of penicillin and was recently honored for this by the Columbus Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. He and several colleagues developed and patented for Merck the original Pneumovax (pneumonia vaccine). Robert served as Elder and Deacon in the Second Presbyterian Church of Rahway and was a life-long HAM radio operator (WA2CAK). A private family service will be held at Cedar Lawn Cemetery, NJ later this fall. Donations in his memory may be made to Neighborhood Services, Inc. or to 2019 Westerville/Worthington CROP Walk for Hunger.