Obituary of Theodore Grant Castner, Jr.

Theodore Grant Castner Jr. passed away at home on Thursday, May 11, 2017.  He was born in Orange New Jersey to Anna Wallington Castner and Theodore Grant Castner Sr., who developed his life-long love for music, books, and sense of adventure.
 
He attended Cornell University’s engineering physics program and then earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois.
 
During his five-year stint at the GE Research and Development Center in Schenectady he met Emily Knapp Shirley, then a Senior at Vassar College, whom he wed in 1967.
 
He was recruited by the Physics Department at the University of Rochester in their Condensed Matter Program and spent most of his career there, raising his two children, Tim and Mary, in Pittsford. Ted was promoted to full professor and physics remained one of the great passions of his life.
 
He and Emily built their dream house in southern New Hampshire after Ted retired in 1991.  They had seven acres of land and a small, shallow pond, so they could ice skate and go cross country skiing on their own property.  Travel and cycling were among their many hobbies. They also had a large vegetable garden.
 
In April of 2005 they moved into the Cottages at the Highlands where Ted continued to pursue physics and enjoyed travelling and attending concerts with his wife Emily. He also eagerly participated in weekly lunches at Mickey Finns with the guys.
 
He is survived by his wife, Emily; brothers, Edward and John; his two children and six grandchildren. Memorial Service will be held at Mountain Rise UCC in Fairport Monday, May 15th at 11 AM with a reception to follow.