Passed away May 20, 2016 in Tampa. Bob was a proud son of St. Louis, Missouri; graduate of Webster Groves High School; Grinnell College, Iowa (Phi Beta Kappa, 1951); Washington University in St. Louis Medical School; and the Menninger Clinic, Topeka. He moved with his beloved wife Joyce to Palm Harbor in 1961, where they raised four girls on Indian Bluff Island. They were long-time members of St. Alfred’s Episcopal Church, and he later attended the Unitarian Universalist Church in Clearwater. He practiced psychiatry until 2010, including many years as Medical Director at Anclote Manor in Tarpon Springs and a subsequent private practice based in Dunedin and Clearwater.
Dr. Zeitler was truly called to his profession. He was defined by his commitment to helping people struggling with mental illness and other life troubles. His compassion and intellectual rigor shaped his practice, tempered by humor and a loving spirit. He was always available for a “deep” conversation.
At home his amazing intellect, broad range of interests, and delightful sense of humor shaped our family culture: dinners were accompanied by (loud) singing, reciting poetry (both serious and ribald), discussions of history and politics, and recounting family history. Visitors often encountered a “wall of sound” upon entering the house, as he blasted The Metropolitan Opera and his vast collection of classical music every weekend. Never one to sit idle, he also enthusiastically explored a number of hobbies including playing the guitar, table tennis, sailing, waterskiing, photography, ancient history, wine and beer making, and gardening, but his second real avocation was his lifelong love of O gauge model trains, including several “masterwork” layouts.
He is predeceased by his wife Joyce Beardsley Zeitler, his parents Will and Hilda Zeitler, and his sister Jean Meyer. He is survived by his daughters Natalie Roberts, Jeannie McLean, Suzanna Zeitler, and Libby Baron; his sons in law Robert McLean, John Baron, and Dana Anderson, and by nine grandchildren: Katherine, Matthew, and Daniel Aizpuru; Julia, Robert, and William McLean; Thomas and Elizabeth Ellison; and William Baron, all of whom have inherited his bon vivant spirit and love of learning.
A gathering and memorial service will be held on Friday, May 27th from 4:00pm-6:00pm at Blount & Curry Funeral Home, 605 S. MacDill Avenue, Tampa. All are welcome to attend. The family will attend a private interment at a later date at Curlew Hills Memory Garden, Palm Harbor. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to LifePath Hospice, Chapters Health, 12470 Telecom Drive, Suite 300 West, Temple Terrace, FL 33637 or http://www.lifepath-hospice.org.
Dad, you and Mom will live forever in our hearts.
SHARE OBITUARYSHARE
v.1.15.0