Robert W. Pooley, 90, of Eau Claire, and formerly of South Bend, Indiana, died Friday, January 21, 2011, of natural causes at Syverson Lutheran Home in Eau Claire.\r\n"Bob" was born in Meriden, CT on August 6, 1920, a son of William and Elsie (Vincent) Pooley. \r\nBob graduated from Wesleyan University in Middeltown, CT in 1942, with a degree in Chemistry.\r\nBob proudly served as an infantry officer during WWII. After the war, he took a job as a plastics research and development chemist in Mishawaka, IN with the Ball Band Company, which later merged with Uniroyal, Inc.\r\nBob held several patents, including the invention and development of "ensolite" and the extruded plastic later marketed widely in canoes called Royalex and ABS. He retired from Uniroyal in 1982, as the corporate lab manager in the plastics research and development division.\r\nBob and his beloved wife of 61 years, Viola Troyer, were married in South Bend, IN in 1949, and have two children, Marcia Kobold of Yucaipa, CA and Will Pooley of Eau Claire. Bob and Viola moved from South Bend, IN to Eau Claire in 2008.\r\nBob loved to garden and to sing and enjoyed retirement performing in many community theater productions as well as community choral groups. He was appreciated by friends and family for his sincerity, wry humor, story telling and delightful letters - if you could read his writing.\r\nRobert is survived by his wife, Viola; his daughter, Marcia (Paul) Kobold; son, William Pooley; three grandchildren, Jennifer Pooley DuFresne of N. St. Paul, MN, Jessica Pooley Balls of Brigham City, UT, and Patrick Kobold of Yucaipa, CA; three great-grandchildren, Eva, Mitchell and Riess DuFresne; nieces and nephews, Shirley DiNofrio, Carol Vincent Cook, Marjorie Vincent Levine, Robert Vincent, and Dave Vincent.\r\nHe was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Willard and Art Vincent.\r\nFuneral services will be held at Noon, January 24, 2011, at Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral Home, 814 First Avenue in Eau Claire, with Rev. Dr. Mark X. Pirazzini, of First Congregational United Church of Christ, officiating. Burial will be in Lakeview Cemetery in Eau Claire. Visitation will be one hour prior to services Monday at the funeral home.\r\nIn lieu of flowers, the family asks that any gift be in the form of a donation to a memorial scholarship for a future student at the Chippewa Valley Technical College. Contributors are asked to mail any donation to: CVTC Foundation in c/o Robert Pooley Memorial Scholarship, 620 W. Clairemont Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54701.

Service Information