Robert G. Squires

Bob Squires, 76, died peacefully at 4:35 a.m. Sunday, November 6, 2011. Born on October 1, 1935, the son of Howard and Alma Squires, he was raised in Ambridge, PA. A lover of learning, Bob attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, graduating with a BS, Chemical Engineering, 1957. Bob took his girlfriend Carol to his 9th grade prom, and never looked back, marrying the great love of his life on June 15, 1957. They moved to Ann Arbor, MI where he received a MSE and MS Math, 1958 and Ph.D., 1963 from the University of Michigan.
Bob?s love for teaching extended throughout his entire professional career at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN where he taught for 37 years as Professor Emeritus of Chemical Engineering. Bob received numerous teaching awards at Purdue, and treasured most those voted upon by his students. He was honored in the inaugural class of Purdue?s Book of Great Teachers, awarded to 316 outstanding teaching faculty to date. Most Chemical Engineers educated between the years of 1962 and 1999 were likely to have been Bob?s student. They will remember Professor Squires? passion and concern, inviting them to his home for picnics and informal gatherings to get to know them personally. Bob coordinated the School?s co-op program, and pioneered the development of the study abroad program. One of his deepest rewards was to hear a student returning from England to say “Professor Squires, it changed my life”.
Bob loved to travel ? from camping across the U.S. National Parks in a small trailer to winging his way as a private pilot to destinations for family fun and business. Bob spent sabbatical leaves from Purdue at various Universities in the U.S., England and Australia. This lasting love of travel, learning and living life to the fullest was instilled and will live on in his wife Carol and their children Susan Squires Zielke, Wendy Squires Hazlett (husband Dave) and Karen Lynne Squires, as well as Bob?s grandchildren Katie and Dan Hazlett, Matt Zielke, and Sam and Anna Troiano.
Bob and Carol spent some of their happiest days wandering through the Lake District in England, walking through the lowest valleys to the highest peaks. A favourite mountain was called Haystacks, which was also treasured by Alfred Wainwright, a British fell walker (Bob?s hero), whose hand-written quintessential guidebooks led Bob and Carol on many of their journeys. When Wainwright died, the newspaper printed that St. Peter, addressing the angels at the gate, reminded them that ?”Wainwright will be coming on foot”?and so it will be with Bob.
Bob (our hero) will live forever in our hearts as a husband, Dad, Gramps, uncle, friend, mentor and teacher.
A family gathering was held on Tuesday, November 8, 2011.
In celebration of Bob, donations can be made to the West Lafayette Public Library Foundation, P.O. Box 2078, West Lafayette, IN 47996.