Robert A. Stanton, age 99, of Pilesgrove, NJ, died peacefully at home on April 25, 2022.

Born October 27, 1922 in Camden, NJ, Robert graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1940 and received a BS in Chemical Engineering from Drexel Institute in 1951.

 

Robert was a World War II Veteran, serving as an infantryman with the 12th Armored Division Hellcats. He fought in the Battle of Herlescheim with the Mystery Division and was wounded in combat. He was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. In 2018, he was recognized for his service by U.S. Congressman LoBiondo as well as the Salem County Freeholders as a Salem County Hero.  He also served as Parade Marshal for the 2018 Woodstown 4th of July Parade.

 

Robert was a chemical engineer with E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Company at both the Chambers Works site and Wilmington headquarters. He retired as a manager in 1987 after 32 years of employment.

 

Robert operated a 40-acre farm in Salem County for over 40 years, where he built over a mile of track for a narrow-gage railroad that serviced both steam and gasoline engines, including the engine salvaged from Riverview Beach Park. He delighted in sharing his railroad with anyone who stopped and asked to ride, and will be remembered by many who rode the train as children. He was a member of the National Railway Historical Society and author of numerous books on streetcar, railroad, and local history.

 

Robert was a spirit-filled Christian who will be remembered for his love for all children, his genuine curiosity for the world, his joy in telling jokes, and the positive impact he made on so many. He will be dearly missed by three generations of family and many in the community whose lives he touched, including the many caregivers he knew in his final years.

 

Robert was predeceased by his parents, William J. and Margaret (May) Stanton, along with his brother Donald, and his wife of 50 years, Jane (Moore) Stanton. He is survived by his children, Sally Maurer (Oscar), Timothy (Joyce), Emily Mills (Donald), Julie (César Briseño), and Laura Pistoia (Stephen), along with two nieces, 14 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandson.

 

A Service of Christian Burial will be at 11 AM on May 13, 2022, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 37 E. Grant St. Woodstown, NJ. Relatives and friends may visit with the family Friday morning from 9 AM until service time.  Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, PO Box 197, Woodstown, NJ 08098.  Please visit htlayton.com to leave a note of condolence to his family.  Arrangements are by the H.T. Layton Funeral Home & Cremation Service.