Richard Francis Gaertner

Dr. Richard F. “Dick” Gaertner, born August 10, 1933, passed away on December 20, 2024, at the age of 91, in Cary, NC. He is survived by his beloved wife of 62 years, Nancy (Keary) Gaertner, and their four children and six grandchildren (listed in birth order):

● McDonalds of Sarasota, FL: Barbara, her husband Pat, and children Zoe and Danny

● Gaertners of Seattle, WA: Richard, his wife Renata, and sons Noah and Nathan

● Keddies of Northville, MI: Linda, her husband Todd, and son Tim

● Gaertners of Apex, NC: Catherine and her daughter Samantha Ferguson

Richard is predeceased by his parents John and Alma (Heimbuecher) Gaertner, his older brother John William “Bill” Gaertner, and his younger sister Elizabeth “Betty” (Gaertner) Burda Bache.

Richard was born in Shaler Township, PA. At age 10, his family moved to Huntington, WV, where his father worked at Dupont as part of the war effort. Richard attended St. Joseph Central Catholic school in Huntington. Upon graduating, he went to Marshall University; and after two years, transferred to West Virginia University where he earned a B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering. With a National Science Foundation grant and Dow Chemical fellowship, he completed his doctoral research at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana in 1959.

Dr. Gaertner began his career at General Electric (GE) in Schenectady, NY, where his research in dielectric polymer coatings and heat transfer for nuclear reactors led to 10 U.S. patents, the GE Silver Medallion award, and several published works.

While working at the GE Research Laboratory, he met the love of his life, Nancy Keary of Troy, NY, who was working there as a research chemist. They married in 1962.

Known then to friends and colleagues as Dick, he worked in various technical management roles at GE in Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio. He was well-known for his extensive research expertise in thermoplastics, laminated products, and chemical materials, as well as his leadership skills. During those years, Dick and Nancy, grew their family, moving from Schenectady, NY, to Coshocton, OH, and then to Worthington Hills, OH.

In 1976, the Gaertner family moved to Newark, Ohio. Recruited by Owens Corning Fiberglass (OCF) for his integrity, decision-making, and vision, Dick became the Director of Research and Development at the OCF Technical Center in Granville, OH. He oversaw a large team of researchers who developed such items as textile fibers, polyester resin products, fiberglass tire cord, and large-scale filaments.

In 1986, he left OCF and Ohio to become the founding Director of the Center for Advanced Technology Development, a joint venture of Iowa State University and the Ames National Laboratory (USDOE). With funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce, he and his staff helped develop over 200 commercially viable technologies, which led to 130 U.S. patents, 30 licenses to U.S. companies and 10 start-ups, six R&D 100 Awards, and commendations from the Secretary of Commerce (from two U.S. administrations).

In addition, he co-authored a book about technology transfer, served on the Competitiveness Policy Council of the United States, and was listed in several technical journals of note.

In 1995, Dick and Nancy retired to Cary, NC. They traveled throughout the country and visited many far-flung destinations in countries on nearly every continent. Dick loved reading historical fiction novels and was an avid collector of stereoscopic cards. He was a member of the National Stereoscopic Association for more than four decades.

A Catholic Requiem Mass will be held at 11am on January 17th at his home parish, St. Andrew Catholic Church (3008 Old Raleigh Road, Apex). In addition, the mass will be livestreamed. He will be laid to rest at the Historic Oakwood Cemetery (701 Oakwood Ave, Raleigh). Contact the Brown Wynne Funeral Home (Cary) for more information.

A Celebration of Life lunch will be held at noon on Saturday, January 18 at the Apex Funeral Home (550 W. Williams, Apex) for friends and family.