We regretfully announce that Robert (Bob) McNally Walp, one of the original builders of PTC, passed away on 25 January 2017 at the age of 89. He was always friendly, with a smile, an outstretched hand and a self-introduction, “Hi, I’m Bob.” With a tender heart, he often supported causes, organizations, and people he thought would improve the standard of living. He was generous to a fault.

During his long association with PTC, he served as Chair of the Seminar and Education Committee; Chair of the Annual Conference Committee; and a member of the Executive Board. In the early 2000’s, his company sponsored a successful PTC Mid-Year Seminar in Alyeska, Alaska, on Rural Communications. He was a stalwart and gracious supporter of PTC, and a recipient of the Richard J. Barber Distinguished Service Award in 2015.

Bob Walp earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, both in physics, from the California Institute of Technology. He was a co-founder and first President of General Communications Inc. (GCI), now a publicly-traded, multi-service company.

In 1998, Bob was elected as a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.