Robert D. Emery

Robert Dale (Bob) Emery, a resident of Centerville, Utah of almost 40 years, passed away from complications incident to age on January 14, 2021. He was just a few months away from his 95th birthday. Bob was born May 21, 1926 in Butler, PA to Clarence Oliver Emery and Margaret Barger Emery. Bob grew up and attended school in Butler, and after high school, enlisted in the Navy.

He always wanted to be a pilot, since his dad flew in WW I, but his health prevented that. However, he did get to fly. During WWII he served in the Navy as a tail gunner in a Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bomber. He also flew in some of the early Navy helicopters. When he was stationed in California, he created one of the first Navy small arms training courses, modeling it after a similar Marine program. He earned many medals for marksmanship and skeet shooting.

After a military career which allowed him to see much of the country from New York to California, he returned to his home in Butler, where he met Margaret (Peggy) Goodwin, the love of his life. They married November 10, 1956 and moved to Cleveland, OH where he began work as a mechanical engineer.

As an engineer, Bob worked for several companies and in several areas. He was trained in aeronautical engineering, and worked with optics, plastics, and mechanical assemblies. He filed many patents under his name. He would often bring prototypes of his work home and let his kids play with them.

His last job while living in Pennsylvania was as a Nuclear Quality Assurance manager for Zurn Industries in Erie, PA. It is of note that the cooling systems his company supplied for the Three-Mile Island Nuclear power plant were a large contributing factor that prevented the total meltdown of the reactor, thus minimizing the environmental impact of the disaster. However, after this incident, the demand for nuclear power plummeted and Bob’s company exited that industry. Bob had to find another line of work and found it with E-systems in Utah.

While on a visit to Utah to find a home for his family, Bob decided to attend a Tabernacle Choir broadcast. While he was on Temple Square, as he looked at the temple, a feeling came to him that someday he and his wife Peggy would be married in that temple. This surprised him since, although his wife was a long-standing member, he had no intention of joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Through some other heavenly influences, Bob was led to find a house in Centerville, Utah where the family moved in 1981. Several years later, on his 65th birthday Bob was baptized into the church; then a year later the prompting he received at Temple Square was fulfilled as he and his wife and family were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.

Shortly thereafter, Bob and Peggy served a church mission at the Salt Lake City Family History Center. There Bob found a German book about the Emery line, and his name was in it. None of the names had been put on the Church website and Bob was able to see work done for thousands of his ancestors. They also treasured their years serving as ordinance workers in the Bountiful Temple.

Over his life, Bob has had many hobbies and interests. Friends and neighbors who he golfed with knew that he could build them a custom set of golf clubs. He also had an extensive wood shop, and built many pieces of fine furniture out of a massive cherry tree from the 3-acre wooded lot they lived on in Pennsylvania. He was an avid fisherman while in Erie, and had a 14-ft boat that he would take out on Lake Erie, sometimes even when a small craft warning was in effect. He was an excellent public speaker, trained by Toastmasters. He was also a member of a gourmet wine, cheese and food club, and made his own wine as a hobby (long before he became a member of the church and gave up wine and tobacco). He grew up in a family where hunting, fishing, and archery were a way of life.

Bob is survived by his wife, Peggy and two sons, Dale Bixler Emery (Lisa) and Scott Sherwood Emery (Michelle). He was predeceased by son Terry Wayne Emery and brother Coe Emery. He is survived by 7 grandchildren: Taylor, Allison, Cameron, Brooklyn, Slater, Sarah and Rylee Emery.

Services will be live streamed on Russon Brothers Mortuary Facebook page on Monday, January 18, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. Interment at Centerville City Cemetery.