August 25 1922 February 13 2020
Monroe, NJ Reuben H. Karol, PE, Professor Emeritus of Continuing Engineering Education Center at Rutgers University, died on February 13, 2020 at his residence. He was 97 years old. Born and raised in Toms River, NJ He enrolled at Rutgers in 1940, completed three semesters, then served in the US Army Signal Corps for three and a half years, both in the US and the Pacific Theatre. After his honorable discharge as a 1st Lieutenant, he returned to Rutgers, and earned his B.Sc and M. Sc degrees in Civil Engineering in 1947 and 1949. From 1947 to 1951 he was an instructor and Asst. Professor in Civil Engineering at Rutgers. From 1951 to 1956 he worked for ESSO, designing refinery structures and foundations. From 1956 to 1967 he headed the Engineering Chemicals Research Center for American Cyanamid Company in Princeton, NJ. In 1967 he returned to Rutgers as a Professor and Director of the Continuing Engineering Education Center. He retired from full time teaching in 1984, but continued part time teaching at Rutgers for many more years. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in NJ, and was active in the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the American Society for Testing and Materials. He has chaired many of their technical committees and received numerous citations and awards. He has also taught special courses at (then) New College of Engineering and Stevens Institute of Technology. He has been a guest Lecturer at many Universities throughout the United States and Canada, as well as in Mexico, Portugal, Israel, Jordan and China. During his career he gained international recognition for his laboratory and field research in control of water flow into underground excavations. He worked in gold, silver, copper and iron mines in Canada, coal and copper mines in the United States, copper mines in Mexico, and Dams in Mexico and Jordan. His work detailed in a college text book still used in classrooms throughout the world. He has written three other books and 37 technical articles about foundation engineering and grouting for soil stabilization. His side interest in mechanical design has earned him six United States patents. Based on these, in the 1960s he founded a company to design and manufacture soil and metal testing machines. That company, now owned by others, still exists as Karol-Warner Co. In the 1970s he started woodworking as a hobby, and developed a process he called “contour sculpture”. Using this procedure, he built laminated wood sculptures of the female figure. These proved to be very salable, and have been exhibited and sold in over 20 art galleries throughout the United States. Over the years, more than 500 of these sculptures have been sold, and new pieces are still shown in art galleries. He was predeceased by his first wife, Sylvia Gross in 1991 and is survived by his second wife Joan Baker, his three children with Sylvia; Diane, Leslee and Michael and by three grandchildren and six great grandchildren. He is also survived by Joan’s two children Bruce and Penny. Funeral service will take place on Sunday, February 16, 2020 at1 pm at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, 222 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ. Interment to follow at Elmwood Cemetery, New Brunswick, NJ. Memorial contributions may be made to the Continuing Engineering Education Center at Rutgers University. Arrangements are under the direction of the Crabiel Parkwest Funeral Chapel, 239 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Mr. Reuben Karol please visit our Sympathy Store.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Reuben Karol August 25 1922 February 13 2020.
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Death notice for the town of: New Brunswick, state: New Jersey