Reed Stuart Robertson, 97, died Tuesday, October 23, 2018 at Hawthorne Inn, Galesburg.Born in Philadelphia, he grew up in Collingswood, New Jersey. He served in the Army Air Corps in the Pacific in WWII. In 1944 he married Audrey J. Bosworth. She predeceased him in 2014. He is survived by their daughter Cynthia Heather, grandson Sean Heather, his wife Celeste and their son William and granddaughter Megan Woodruff, her husband Craig and their sons Oliver and Simon. Reed obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical and environmental engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. He worked for Nalco Chemical Company, retiring in the mid-1980s. “Remember me,” he wrote, “as quiet, high-principled, but kindly, with a deep appreciation of beauty…a strong sense of wonder…dedicated to community service, church and family; striving to the last to follow His will, ever thankful for His gifts of Spirit and Grace.” An honest, honorable man, he was patient, loving, faithful and generous. His long life ranged from selling magazines as boy on his bike in the Depression to being a chemist with a couple of patents, sometimes climbing smoke stacks to gather samples. He was also a renovator and finisher of a couple of homes, a gardener, square dancer, Lion, Rotarian, chess player, miniature furniture maker, volunteer, church worker. Most of all he was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He gave roots and wings. He was as he wished to be remembered. To the last, God, the Father, was ever in his thoughts and prayers. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 27, 2018 at Central Congregational Church on the Square in Galesburg with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Rotary International or the Galesburg Community Foundation. Private burial with military honors will be held in East Linwood Cemetery. Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral Directors and Cremation Services is handling arrangements for the family. Online condolences may be made at www.h-p-w.com.
