Robert Joseph Stets, Sr.

Mr. Robert Joseph Stets, Sr., age 100, entered into rest Monday afternoon, December 5, 2016, at his home in the Historic District of Walterboro, while under the care of Amedisys Hospice.  He was the widower of Mrs. Margaret Lucille Kinsler Stets, his loving wife of sixty-three years at the time of her death in 2003.

A service of Christian Burial will be held at St. Mary's Church in Fairfax, Virginia and he will be entombed beside his wife in the churchyard.

Born July 24, 1916, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was a son of the late Fred W. Stets and the late Gertrude Marie Morrissey Stets.  Bob graduated from St. Joseph’s Prep in 1934 and (the then) LaSalle College (now LaSalle University) in Philadelphia in 1938, cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Science and was inducted into the Alpha Epsilon Honor Society.

He began his career as a chemist. Following WWII, he continued his studies at Temple University, specializing in Industrial Engineering. He was employed as an Industrial Engineer at the Marine Corps Depot of Supplies, Stephen F. Whitman Candy Co., Chase Aircraft Corp, American Electronics Labs, and as Manager of Systems for Kardon Investments Corps., in Philadelphia. For nine years prior to his retirement, Bob was employed in various capacities by the Earl P.L. Apfelbaum firm, a stamp dealer in Philadelphia.

Bob was the Executive Director for the Seventh International Philatelic Exhibition for the U.S. called “Interphil” ‘76’ help in Philadelphia in 1976 and the author of many articles and publications about stamp collecting and postal history.

Following his retirement to Walterboro in 1982, Bob organized, with the aid of a computer, the voluminous data which he had accumulated about Philadelphia postal history. His Philadelphia Postal Markings on Stampless Covers Catalog, Vol. 1 and his Maritime Markings of Philadelphia, Published in 1984 was incorporated into Vol. 2 of that catalog.

In 1988 Bob teamed up with Harvey Teal of Columbia, S.C. and in 1990 they published South Carolina Postal History and Illustrated Catalog of Postmarks, 1760-1860 for which they were awarded the Elliott Perry Cup in 1991 by the U.S. Philatelic Classic Society.

In 1994, Laposta Publications published the results of Bob’s four-year examination of the Letter Books of the postmaster General under the title Postmasters and Post offices of the United States, 1782-1811. For this Book, Bob was awarded the Stanley be Dodd Ashbrook cup for 1994 by the US Philatelic Classic Society and at Pacific 97 this book received an international Vermeil award. His overall contributions to the Philately were recognized by the US philatelic classic society and he became the 17th person to sign their scroll of distinguish Philatelists.

In 1995, Bob again teamed up with the Harvey Teal to publish a record of South Carolina's confederate postal history titled South Carolina post office is and postmasters 1816 through 1865 and in 1998, at the age of 82 he published the third volume relating to South Carolina's postal history, Post Office is of South Carolina, 1865 through 1890 and their first post masters. And Walterboro, Bob was active for many years in the Colleton County High store cool and preservation society, serving as the director 1898 through 1995 and as a member of the committee that he produced a beautiful publication, Victorian history of Colleton County High in 1994. Bob served as a ministerial recorder for Walterboro under Judge Marvin Jones and a member of the first historic preservation commission for the city. He was also active in the old Saint Bartholomew Chapter of the South Carolina Genealogical Society.

In 1997 Bob published a history of the Roman Catholic Church in Walterboro on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the present church structure. He was a member of the P.E.P. Club in the editor of its monthly newsletter for many years. He was also a member of the senior friends from its inception.

Surviving are: his children, David Stets and his wife Jeannie of New Orleans, Louisiana, Robert Joseph Stets, Jr. and his wife Susan of Coopersburg, Pennsylvania; Gayle Frances Lawin of Tacoma, Washington; and Jeanne E. McKeever of Doylestown, Pennsylvania; elven grandchildren; twenty-one great grandchildren; and four great great grandchildren.

Arrangements by: THE BRICE W. HERNDON AND SONS FUNERAL HOMES AND CREMATORY, WALTERBORO CHAPEL, 1193 Bells Highway, Walterboro; 843.538.5408.  Visit our online registry at: www.briceherndonfuneralhome.com.