Alexis William Lemmon Jr

October 2, 1921 - May 6, 2009

Alexis William Lemmon Jr., 87, of Upper Arlington, died Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at Riverside Methodist Hospital. He was born October 2, 1921, in Columbus, the son of Alexis W. Sr. and Gladys (Lester) Lemmon.

He retired as a chemical engineer with Battelle after 33 years, then worked as a senior project manager with Metcalf & Eddy for more than 15 years.

A devoted husband, father, grandfather and brother, Alex loved time spent with his family and especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Joan (Buck) Lemmon; children and grandchildren: Linda Najjoum of Bluffton, South Carolina, and son Jason; Alexis W. III (Sarah) Lemmon of Dublin and children David (Michelle and daughter Katherine), Joshua (Leilani) and Jill (Tom and daughter Megan) Westbrook; Susan (Bryan) Green of Pataskala and children Hannah, William and Henry; Jeffrey (Suzanne) Lemmon of East Lyme, Connecticut, and sons Zachary and Jeffrey; Tracy (Michele) Lemmon of Columbus and children Conor and Nora; and Todd (Kimberly) Lemmon of Granville and children Ross and Audra; stepchildren and stepgrandchildren: Steven (Cynthia) Buck of Zanesville and sons Benjamin, Joseph (Amie) and Robert (Alicia); Carol (Karl) Craven of Upper Arlington and daughters Nicole, Sara and Ann; Robert (Pamela) Buck of Pittsburgh and children Barbara (Brian) Sloan, Brian and Julia; Stanley (Jean) Buck of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and sons Samuel and Lucas; and Marty (Wayne) Swift of Upper Arlington and daughters Jenny and Shelly. He is also survived by his brother, Robert (Carole) Lemmon of Palm Desert, California; and five special nieces, a special nephew and their families.

Alex, a 1939 graduate of the University School, received a bachelor of science in chemical engineering in 1943 from The Ohio State University, where he joined the marching band in 1941 and 1942, and later becoming an assistant professor and adjunct associate professor.

In 1945, he produced the "blue book" - recently declassified - on rocket fuels and jet propulsion, marking the start of such U.S. research and becoming a standard reference in the post-World War II years.

In his later work, he directed the cleanup of hazardous wastes, including those at Superfund sites; and pursued other environmental projects internationally.

Alex also loved music and worldwide travel.

He was a longtime member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, where he was an active choir member and a former elder; and a member of Vaud-Villities for 37 years. Friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Schoedinger Northwest Chapel, 1740 Zollinger Road. A funeral will begin at 10:00 a.m. Monday, May 11, 2009, at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 2070 Ridgecliff Road with private interment at a later date. Those who wish can contribute in his memory to the Memorial Fund, c/o Covenant Presbyterian Church, Columbus, Ohio 43221 or to Sanibel Congregational United Church of Christ, 2050 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, Florida 33957.

Alex was a member of the marching band from 1941 through 1942. He played Alto Horn.