Waldo Van Valkenburgh Jr. ’54

Cap died March 26, 2021. 

At College High School in Montclair, N.J., he participated in baseball, dramatics, and glee club. At Princeton he majored in chemical engineering, joined Charter Club, and was varsity baseball manager during his first three years. He graduated with election to Phi Beta Kappa.

Upon graduation he went to work for DuPont’s engineering department before serving two years in the Army to fulfill his ROTC obligation, during which time he met and married Louise Campbell. In 1958 he returned to DuPont, remaining through 1963 except for “a short fling at medicine” at Johns Hopkins Medical School. In 1963 he joined IBM as a systems engineer. 

After retiring from IBM in 1987 Cap moved his family permanently to their home on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Ga., and started a second career as a math instructor at several local colleges. Cap and Louise traveled the world and made many friends along the way. They especially loved Costa Rica, taking more than 25 trips there. Cap was a member of Gainesville First United Methodist Church and served as a volunteer with Meals on Wheels and hospice. He was also a blood-platelet donor for many years. 

Cap was predeceased by Louise after 57 years of marriage. Survivors include five children: Mayre, Linda, Jim, Barbie, and David; eight grandchildren; and three great grandchildren.