Dr. James Robert (Bob) Piper

Jeffcoat Funeral Home 255 Friendship Road Tallassee, AL 36078 Tel (334) 283-6801 Dr. James Robert (Bob) Piper, a resident of Birmingham, Alabama, passed away Tuesday, April 09, 2013, at the age of 80. He was born in Tallassee, Alabama, January 14, 1933. Graveside services will be Friday, April 12, 2013, at 11:00am at Rose Hill Cemetery, Tallassee, Alabama, Jeffcoat Funeral Home directing. Dr. Piper is survived by his wife, Barbara Herren Piper; daughters, Katherine Piper Whitfield (Curt) and Susan Piper Norman (Bob); son, Howard Herren Piper (Gina); sister, Judy Watson (Gray) and ten grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, Robert Arthur and Clara Jeanette Ashurst Piper and his older half-sister, Margie Piper Bailey. Bob served in the United States Army during the Korean War and entered A.P.I. in 1952, majoring in chemistry. He received his B.S. Degree in 1955 and enrolled in graduate school at Auburn University, where he received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1960. He was a member of Phi Lambda Upsilon. That same year, he accepted a position at Southern Research Institute. His long career at SRI included work for Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, during which time he developed a compound effective as a radioprotective agent used in cancer treatment. Dr. Piper’s career resulted in nearly one hundred publications and several book chapters. He was awarded the Scientific and Engineering Excellence Award by SRI in 1994. He retired in 1998 and enjoyed traveling with his wife. Some of the most delightful trips were with grandchildren on intergenerational Elderhostels. Bob enjoyed the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Alabama Shakespeare Festival and opera. He was a member of Auburn University COSAM Advisory Council and belonged to the Unitarian Church of Birmingham. A memorial service will be Saturday, April 13, 2013, at 3:00pm at the UU Church of Birmingham. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Auburn University Scholarship Fund. Online condolences are available at: www.jeffcoatfuneralhome.com. Jeffcoat Funeral Home Directing Tallassee, Alabama