Robert Gunsaulus

Robert K. Gus Gunsaulus died in Baton Rouge on August 12, 2011. He was born in Akron,OH, the son of Alfred C. Gunsaulus and Iva D. Frick. After high school in Akron, he went to Iowa State University where he graduated in 1943 with a degree in General Engineering. Called into the Navy, he entered the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD, where he received a Reserve Commission in August of the same year. On December 28, 1943 he married in New Orleans Bonnie Mae Miller of that city they were married 67 years. He spent over two years in the navy and was discharged from the Naval Reserve in 1954. Twenty months of this service were spent aboard the USS Darby, D.E. 218, in the South Pacific. As a Ltj.g. he was Chief Engineer. In 1952 he and his father were awarded Professional Mechanical Engineering Degrees by Iowa State. These were the first family presentations made by the university and were based on original work done. Gus was also registered as a Professional Engineer in two states: Michigan and California. For 34 years he worked for Bailey Controls, a division of Babcock and Wilcox. While living 20 years in the Detroit area he was president of the Detroit ISU Alumni, his neighborhood association in Pleasant Ridge and twice served as a vestryman at St. Johns Episcopal Church, Royal Oak. In 1966 he was transferred to Baileys national headquaters in Wickliffee, OH. In time he became National Sales Manager, then National Marketing manager and for a while held both positions. The only industry his work did not ever touch was oil. He traveled extensively, often speaking and presenting papers on industrial controls to various industrial organizations. He also published articles on controls in industry in trade magazines. He was a contributing editor to the Glass Handbook, which became a standard text in that industry. In 1980 after 34 years with Bailey he retired. He subsequently took a job with Honeywell as a District Sales Manager with headquarters in Baton Rouge. Gus was a life member of Sigma Chi and ASME and a 71year member of the Allstate Sugar Bowl. Until recent years he was active in these organizations as well as in the General Philemon Thomas Chapter of the SAR. He is survived by his wife, Bonnie, and by three children and six grandchildren. His children are Jane Weisenbacher of Bridgeville, PA, Lesley Tierra of Ben Lomond, CA and Richard Gunsaulus of Highland heights, OH. His grandchildren are Lesley Weisenbacher of Chicago, IL, Noel Weisenbacher of Longmont, CO, Nancy Weisentbacher of Pittsburgh, PA, Chetan Tierra of San Diego, CA, Megan and Colleen Gunsaulus of Highland Heights, OH.