Robert Edwin VanMeter

Bob was born in Cumberland Maryland on May 1,1941 to Edwin and Hilda VanMeter. He grew up in Cumberland, where he played football at Fort Hill High School. As a kid, he enjoyed hunting and fishing in the western mountains of Maryland. Bob was married to Suzanne Ervin in April of 1957 until her death in 2009. Bob loved his family dearly and had a very close relationship with his children and grandchildren. His daughter Lynne said he was “an original.”

Bob joined the Navy in 1958 where he was a navigator for planes that mapped the eye of hurricanes. While in the Navy, he became an Air Traffic Controller in 1962. This would become his career for the rest of his professional lifetime. After leaving the Navy, he enlisted in the Air Force. He joined the Federal Aviation Administration in 1970. In total, Bob was an Air Traffic Controller for over 40 years in Virginia, Maryland, Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida and Puerto Rico.

As an avid hunter, Bob loved spending time on his tree farm in Cuthbert, Georgia. He also loved camping and traveling to the mountains each year to see the beautiful fall foliage. He was a football fan and coached a little league football team for a year.

Bob was a Christian who was passionate about supporting many organizations including the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.

Bob is preceded in death by his sons, Robert and Michael VanMeter, and his sister Patricia Parsons.

Bob is survived by his wife JoAnne Francis, his daughter Lynne Lazarchik and her husband Paul, sister-in-law Julie Frazee and her husband Lynn, grandson Zachary VanMeter, granddaughters Carinne Lazarchik and Ashley VanMeter, niece Leah Frazee, nephew Russell Frazee, stepchildren Shawni Ely and her husband Pat, Shannon Maher and her husband Patrick, and step-grandchildren Paige Beacom, Claire Maher, Grace Maher, Samantha Ely and Shane Ely.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday February 18th, 2022 at Blount & Curry Funeral Home located at 6802 Silvermill Drive, Tampa, Florida 33635. The service will be officiated by his pastor Ernie Post of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church.

In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to The Humane Society of Tampa Bay at https://humanesocietytampa.org/ in appreciation of Bob’s great love for animals.