Joe Earl Walton Jr., a pioneer in PET drying systems for bottle manufacturing and engineering and turnkey plastics plants nationwide, died Dec. 10. He was 83.
For more than four decades, Walton operated Walton/Stout Inc. of Lithonia, Ga., solving material handling, blending, crystallizing and drying applications for customers in a wide range of industries.
In 2009, Schaumburg, Ill.-based ACS Group acquired Walton/Stout.
Walton was preceded in death by his first wife, Virginia.
He is survived by his wife, Vivian; son, Larry Walton of Conyers, Ga.; daughters, Nancy Walton Courter (Jeff) of Conyers, Ga., and Cindy Walton Buckel (David), of Suwanee, Ga.; a brother, Bruce (Majorie) Walton, of Wichita, Kan.; a sister, Shirley Walton Camp, of McLean, Va.; and a sister-in-law, Emma Walton, of Belle Plaine; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorials have been established at Council Hill Christian Church, 1268 N. Seneca Road, Peck, KS 67120, and the Belle Plaine Historical Museum, 204 W. Fifth Ave., Belle Plaine, KS 67013.