Robert “Bob” George Doone, of Kingwood, TX, passed away peacefully at Doylestown Hospital, Doylestown, PA on Saturday, March 13, 2021. He was 92. Bob was the beloved husband of the late Marjory (Hohman) Doone; cherished father of Alison Doone, Rob Doone (Jenn), and the late Jonathon Scott Doone; dearest brother of Jim Doone (Margaret) of Cincinnati, OH; loving grandfather of Henry and Emma Doone; and loved uncle of Barbara, Carolyn, and Michael. Bob’s son Rob was fortunate to have his father stay with him and his family in New Hope, PA during the last year of his life.
Bob was born the son of John W. and Wanda (Gurgacz) Doone in New Castle, Pennsylvania where he grew up. As a youth, he loved playing baseball, with shortstop being his favorite position. One interesting fact is that several of his neighborhood games included Chuck Tanner, who was also from New Castle and who went on to coach Bob’s favorite baseball team, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Upon graduating from high school, Bob went to Antioch College where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry, and then began his post graduate studies at the University of Cincinnati. He met his wife Marjory there, and shortly after they were married, he seized an opportunity to transfer to the University of Iowa where he earned his Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry.
Bob took his first job doing research and development with the DuPont Company in Wilmington, DE where he worked for 12 years. He then accepted a job in R&D with the Exxon Corporation in Summerville, SC and was transferred to Houston, TX after 6 years. He stayed with Exxon for several more years, but ultimately landed a job as Director of R&D for Allco Chemical Corporation. After retiring from there, he was not content spending his retirement years sitting around the house, so he ended up satisfying his passion for teaching by becoming an adjunct professor of chemistry at Lone Star College in Houston, TX. Soon after starting there, he took on full time coursework, conducting both lectures and labs there for over 15 years.
Comments from Rob and Alison:
Our father was a proud member of the American Chemical Society and had a lifelong interest in Chemistry. That interest inspired him to teach the subject “in retirement” until he was over 90 years old. Many of his students sought his advice on course choices and career paths, often keeping in touch with him after graduation and thanking him for his guidance.
If you had never met him in person but happened to talk to him on the phone, even regarding some complicated aspect of chemistry, you would never have known that you were talking to a man in his eighties. His mind was that clear, and he had the ability to condense lengthy thoughts or problems into concise, easily understood statements.
Outside of chemistry, he had a huge interest in sports, especially professional baseball, college and professional football, college basketball, and IndyCar racing. He was an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Iowa Hawkeyes, and Penn State Nittany Lions. He also loved reading biographies and books on American history, particularly those about the Revolutionary War and WWII.
We can only hope to live as full and complete of a life as he did. We will miss him dearly.
In lieu of flowers or a service, the family will be planting a tree is his memory at their home in New Hope.
You may send condolences to www.varcoethomasfuneralhome.com.