The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Walter David Eisenhower Jr.
Walter David Eisenhower Jr., 91, formerly of Audubon, PA, passed away, May 18, 2019 at Luther Acres Manor. Born in Reading, he was a son of the late Walter D. Eisenhower, Sr. and Pearl (Hauder) Eisenhower. He was the devoted husband of the late Eleanor Komlodi Eisenhower. In his late 80’s, he stayed by his wife’s side through a very lengthy illness. Walter is survived by his son W. David III husband of Maria Bertucci of Philadelphia, and three daughters, Deborah Volker of York, Diana Hughes wife of Glenn of Lancaster and Julia Gustafson wife of Grant of Long Beach, California. Also surviving are eight grandchildren; twelve greatgrandchildren; his brother Gerald and sister Mary. He was predeceased by his daughter Eileen and his brother Kenneth.
Walter graduated from Reading High School in 1945. He earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Albright College which led to his career in semiconductor engineering. He was a significant developer of the 6502 chip which ran the first Apple computers, the Commodore 64 and Atari games. It is still widely used today. (“Team 6502”, a website dedicated to the team that developed the chip will be available this summer.)
Walter was a dedicated family man, avid storyteller and ice cream enthusiast. He was generous and glad to lend a helping hand whenever needed. He loved music and enjoyed singing with the choir at St Andrews Lutheran Church in Audubon, where he was an active member for 47 years.
Visitation with family and friends will be held on Friday May 24, 2019, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am with services beginning at 11:00 in Lutz Funeral Home, Inc., 2100 Perkiomen Ave., Reading. Interment will be at Forest Hills Memorial Park, Exeter Township. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation, P.O. Box 781352, Philadelphia, PA 19178-1352. For online condolences, please visit LutzFuneralHome.com BETHLEHEM >> Sixteen thousand tons of Bethlehem Steel collapsed in a matter of seconds Sunday as a demolition crew imploded Martin Tower, the defunct steelmaker’s former world headquarters.
Crowds gathered to watch the demolition of the area’s tallest building, a 21-story monolith that opened at the height of Bethlehem Steel’s power and profitability but had stood vacant for a dozen years after America’s second-largest steelmaker went out of business.
Explosives took out Martin Tower’s steel supports and crumpled the 47-yearold building, which had earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places despite its relatively young age. The implosion, which took 16 seconds, created a thick plume of dust that lingered for several minutes.
Tyler Kent, whose father worked at Bethlehem Steel for 46 years and raised 11 children, said his “heart stopped” as he watched the building fall. His father and other relatives took pride in working at the industrial behemoth that armed the U.S. military and helped shape skylines across the country.
“To see it come down brought a tear to my eye. I didn’t think it was going to affect me emotionally like it did, but I just can’t imagine it’s gone. It’s so sad,” said Kent, who could see the tower from his house.
Martin Tower’s current owners spent years trying to redevelop the 332-foot structure — the tallest in a heavily populated region of Pennsylvania that includes the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton — but ultimately concluded it made more economic sense to knock it down and start over. Plans call for a $200 million development with medical offices, retail stores, a restaurant, a convenience store, a hotel and 528 apartments.
Bethlehem Steel was a major supplier of ships and armaments to the U.S. military during World War II, and its steel is found in the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge and many other landmarks.
The company moved into its new corporate headquarters in 1972, shortly before the U.S. steel industry plunged into a severe recession. Bethlehem Steel, which employed more than 120,000 people when Martin Tower opened, declared bankruptcy in 2001 and closed for good two years later.
To some, the tower — built in a cruciform shape to maximize the number of corner offices — symbolized corporate excess.
“This is where the money went that the workers never got,” said Fran Maiatico, whose father worked at Bethlehem Steel. She was among hundreds of people who gathered several blocks away from the building Sunday to watch it come down.