Lt. Col. Robert Eugene Waller, Usaf (Ret.)

Robert Eugene Waller, 90, joined his beloved wife, Ellen M. Waller, in Heaven, on Friday, August 7, 2020.

Lt. Col. Robert “Bob” E. Waller was born in Los Angeles, California, on January 31, 1930, to the late Oliver Eugene and Alice Carr Waller. He graduated from Herbert Hoover High School in San Diego and received a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State College. Upon graduation, having completed the Air Force ROTC program, Bob was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force and retired having attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During Bob's 28-year-career in the U.S. Air Force he specialized in disaster preparedness, ballistic missile operations and safety, and public relations. He served as Chief, Disaster Preparedness Division, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base (AFB), Georgia, and served in several key positions in the 90th Strategic Missile Wing, F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, as Commander of the 400th and 319th Strategic Missile Squadrons; Chief, Command and Control Division; and Chief, Operations Training Division. At Headquarters Systems Command, Andrews AFB, Maryland, he served as Chief, Missile Nuclear Safety Branch, and prior to this duty post, he was a Missile Safety Officer with the Space and Missile Systems Organization at the Los Angeles Air Force Station, California. At Vandenberg AFB, California, he served as a Missile Launch Officer, 6596th Aerospace Test Wing, and held several positions in the 576th Strategic Missile Squadron as Chief of Launch Maintenance, Assistant Chief of Plans, and Flight Commander. Early in his military career, Lt. Col. Waller served in several key public relations posts in California, Japan, Korea, and Nevada.

After Bob retired from military service, he and Ellen, his wife of 56-years until her death in 2016, stayed active in Warner Robins, Georgia. Bob continued volunteering for the Boy Scouts of America and Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Sacred Heart). Bob, an Eagle Scout, was actively involved in all of his sons' scout activities and assisted the scouts on a variety of projects, events, and camping trips. Indeed, all three of Bob's sons earned the Eagle Scout badge. Bob also tirelessly served Sacred Heart in several positions as a member of the Parish Council, Parish Religious Education Board, Building Committee, Liturgical Design Committee, Catholic Youth Ministry, and as a Eucharistic Minister and Lector. Bob also oversaw the Altar Society and trained and scheduled the Alter servers for Sacred Heart. He was a member of the Msgr. Felix Donnelly Council of the Knights of Columbus, eventually serving as the Grand Knight. Bob was known for his delicious corn beef and cabbage, which he prepared and served at the annual Knights of Columbus St. Patrick's Day celebration. Bob, along with his wife, was most proud of being selected as a recipient of the Bishop Francis X. Gartland Service Award by Bishop Boland for his work on the Building Committee that resulted in a beautiful new church for Sacred Heart Parish in Warner Robins, Georgia. Bob's tremendous faith in God, his family, and country never wavered, and he continued to serve others, especially the parishioners of Sacred Heart, until he was no longer able to do so because of failing health.

In addition to his wife and parents, Bob was preceded in death by his sister, Margaret Patricia Weston.

He is survived by his loving children, Alice Waller Dery (Mark) of Fredericksburg, Virginia; Robert Eugene Waller II and Edwin Oliver Waller, both of Warner Robins; and Samuel Joseph Waller (Marianne) of Colorado Springs, Colorado; grandchildren, Monica Waller, Brian Waller, Colette Dery, Clarissa Dery, Abel Waller, Rowan Waller, and Anthony Waller; and great-granddaughter, Amethyst Dery.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, August 10, 2020, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Bob will be laid to rest next to Ellen, in Andersonville National Cemetery, at 2:00 p.m. the same day.

Memorial donations may be given in memory of Bob Waller to Sacred Heart Catholic Church Building Fund, 300 S. Davis Rd., Bldg. 300, Warner Robins, GA 31088.

For friends unable to attend at this time, the service will be streamed live via the McCullough Funeral Home Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mcculloughfuneralhome/live/.

McCullough Funeral Home and Crematory has the privilege of being entrusted with these arrangements.