Witzeman, Robert Allen, 87 of Phoenix, Arizona passed away on August 30, 2014. Bob was born May 7, 1927 in Akron, Ohio, where he grew up. He served in the Navy in 1945, graduated from Oberlin College in 1950, and Case Western Reserve Medical School in 1954. He moved to Phoenix in 1958 and practiced medicine as an anesthesiologist for 30 years.
During his career and retirement he devoted his life to conservation. While serving as president and conservation chairman for the Maricopa Audubon Society, he was involved in saving the desert nesting bald eagle and the Fort McDowell Yavapai and Apache Indian land by helping to defeat the proposed Orme and Cliff Dams; and later in saving the endangered Red Squirrel and sacred Apache Indian sites on Mount Graham; and in saving important habitat and a sacred Apache Indian site at Oak Flat from a destructive copper mine.
He was an active birdwatcher who travelled widely throughout the world in search of birds and wildlife. Bob enjoyed photographing birds, butterflies, and dragonflies, and photographed several first state records of birds for Arizona.
He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years Janet, daughter Karen and husband Jack Rigney, son Jeff and his wife Kerry, his five grandchildren: Claire Rigney, Elaine Rigney, Michael Rigney, Connor Witzeman and Haley Witzeman, as well as three sisters Mary Reinthal, Cile Rice, and Alice Edwards and husband Rich Edwards. A celebration of life service will be held in late December.
Memorial donations may be made to the Maricopa Audubon Society, c/o Matt VanWallene, Treasurer, 11004 E. Villa Park St., Chandler, AZ, 85248 or to the Center for Biological Diversity, P.O. Box 710, Tucson, AZ 85702-0710, or to the Grand Canyon Chapter of the Sierra Club, 202 E. McDowell Rd., Suite 277, Phoenix, AZ 85004.
Carole Klopatek
To the family of Bob Witzeman. You do not know me, but I am a friend and colleague of Bob’s. I was so saddened of his passing, I felt the need to reach out to you. Bob was not just a wonderful, compassionate, smart, dedicated man, but someone who I will always look up to. Although I was not here during the Orme Dam fight, I know how hard he worked with Fort McDowell. For his wonderful deeds, he will always be in our hearts. Since I have been at Fort McDowell, I have worked with Bob on both the desert nesting bald eagle and the resolution copper fight. He was always so helpful and was happy to share his wealth knowledge. I truly appreciated everything he did not just for me and Fort McDowell, but for the environment that he truly loved. He will always be a treasured person and I will never forget him. My heartfelt condolences are with you. Kindest regards, Carole Klopatek