Robert William Light, Ph.D., age 64 of Erie, died on Tuesday, February 13, 2018.

He was born on April 20, 1953, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, to the late Dr. Samuel F. Light Jr. and the late Gloria H. Light.

During his scholastic years at Palmyra Area High School where he graduated in 1971, he became involved in numerous sports, including football, track and field, basketball, tennis, and volleyball.

Bob graduated from the University of Delaware in 1975 with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Millersville University in 1979 with a master’s degree in biology, and The Pennsylvania State University in 1983 with a Ph.D. in ecology. During his college years, he received national recognition in academics and athletics. While at Delaware, he was a member of two Division II National Championship football teams, was twice named to the First Team All-Eastern United States Volleyball Team. In 1975 he was invited to participate in training for the USA pre-Olympic volleyball team. In 1985, he was elected to the Central Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame; and in 2014, to the Penn State Behrend Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2017 he received the Richard Dill Service Award from Penn State Behrend Athletics.

The high point of his life was June 4, 1977, when he married the love of his life, Judy Ellen Hand, whom he met while a student at the University of Delaware.

He spent his career at Penn State Behrend in Erie, Pennsylvania. Beginning in 1984 as a faculty member in biology, but spending most of that time as associate dean for research, graduate studies, and outreach. Dr. Light helped lead the development of several major projects at the college and in the community, including establishment of Pennsylvania’s Sea Grant Program, Knowledge Park at Penn State Erie, the Plastic Technology Deployment Center, and the growth of the college’s outreach initiatives and applied research centers. He also helped expand the college’s faculty/staff research program and the undergraduate program. Bob always spoke proudly of the college and of his work in the community and was especially proud of his role in the college’s enrollment growth during his years at the college and of the growth of the undergraduate research program that afforded many students the opportunity to engage in research and creative activity.

During his time at the college Bob was principal investigator on more than $30 million of state, federal, and private sponsored research projects.

During his time in Erie, he served in leadership roles for many community and national organizations. His background in ecology led him to take leadership roles with numerous environmental- and research-related organizations: Environment Erie, Lake Erie-Allegheny Earth Force, National Earth Force Program, National Sea Grant Association, and Great Lakes Sea Grant Directors network. He was the inaugural president of the Northwest Pennsylvania Chapter of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society. He also served as one of Pennsylvania’s Governor-appointed representatives on the Great Lakes Commission, a binational organization charged with the economic and environmental health of the Great Lakes region; and as president of the Regional Science Consortium at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center during its establishment. Based on his leadership in the environmental arena, the Friends of the Tom Ridge Center Foundation selected Bob as the inaugural recipient of the John C. Oliver Environmental Leadership Award in 2008, presented by Governor Tom Ridge.

He also was active in economic and community development, serving on the boards of the Center for ebusiness and Advanced Information Technology, Erie Chamber of Commerce, Lake Erie Research Institute, Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Organizational Research and Evaluation (CORE), and Northwest Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center. His involvement with the Industrial Resource Center spanned nearly three decades.

Survivors include his wife of 40 years, Judy Light; daughter Courtney Clark, her husband Joshua, granddaughter Amelia, and grandson August of Palisade, Nebraska; daughter Mackenzie of Charlotte, North Carolina; and sons Jeremy of Erie, Pennsylvania, and Peter of Erie, Pennsylvania. He is also survived by a brother Pete Light and wife Carol of Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania; and sister Sue Cross, husband Bill, and niece Jennifer of Pennsylvania Furnace, Pennsylvania.

Friends may call at the Russell C. Schmidt & Son Funeral Home Inc., 5000 Wattsburg Rd., on Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.. Services and burial will be private and at the convenience of the family.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions can be made to Penn State Behrend Athletics, 5103 Station Road, Erie, 16563.

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